Sweet Child of Mine
by ReluctantSlashFan
Summary: What if Luke had gotten custody of Jess when he was three instead of seventeen? Discontinued...
1. The Phone Call

**A big thanks to my beta Broken Daisy. Without her help I never would have started this story...**

**This is my first attempt at a Gilmore Girls story. I usually write for other fandoms, but have always wanted to try my hand at writing for this show. This is going to be an AU story, but I will try to add canon aspects as it goes on...**

**I can tell you right now this is not going to be a short story. And for those who do not want to follow something long that's fine if you want to skip this and read something else.**

**For those who do want to follow it, I really hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**So, I own nothing, let me know what you think, and thanks for reading**

**Bye...**

**GG**

It wasn't the first time Ms. Cadan had to call the cops on the people next to her. The girl, who had to be twenty at the latest, seemed to attract men who were neither good for her nor good for her small son. Twice the police took the little boy from her. He was given back weeks later, after she had gotten clean. Only she never stayed clean. She'd find another junkie, bring him home, and it'd start right back up again.

Tonight was no different. Ms. Cadan was awoken, very early in the morning, by screams and crashes. She sat up, glancing at the wall behind her bed. The shrill sounds of swear words could be heard through the thin walls. Ms. Cadan reached for her phone, grumbling under her breath, only to freeze when two gunshots rang out.

She was stunned for a quarter of a second before-with shaking fingers-she dialed 911.

**GG**

There were times when Luke Danes wondered why he opened a diner. He didn't like greasy food, he sometimes found people annoying, and it's not like the place was hopping. His place had only been open for about a year, and the town's people were still getting used to the fact the William's Hardware wasn't around anymore.

Of course, it wasn't like he was struggling either. The place did have its regulars but business wasn't exactly ideal. And he knew that usually the first year of any new business was the worst, but he had been hoping he'd hit his stride before the one year marker. Buddy had told him to be patient, but that was kind of hard to do when he was trying to live off this diner.

He poured coffee into Ms. Patty and Babette's mugs; both had their heads together, gossiping about things Luke didn't care about. He walked behind the counter, his new cook ringing a bell as he placed a plate of food down.

Ceaser wasn't the ideal employee, he tended to argue with Luke, but he was a decent enough cook and was willing to work for Luke for a few cents lower than minimum wage. Luke promised to pay him more when business picked up.

"Where's the extra bacon?" Luke asked glancing down at the plate.

"No bacon."

"What are you talking about? A new order just came in last night."

"No bacon," Ceaser insisted crossing his arms.

"Ceaser," Luke said in a warning tone.

"Luke, that woman does not need any more bacon," Ceaser pointed out gesturing to a larger woman sitting by the window.

Though Luke silently agreed with him, he had opened the diner to make money not insult his customers, so he kept his comments to himself and said, "She wants extra bacon, give her extra bacon."

"But Luke…"

"I am not above firing you," Luke growled. He knew Ceaser needed the job; it was the only way could pay for his car.

"If she dies of a heart attack, you better hope the family doesn't sue you," Ceaser relented with a sigh and added two more pieces of bacon. Luke picked up the plate, carrying it over to the woman, setting it down in front of her.

He almost said '_you should try a salad once in a while_,' but willed himself to stay silent and moved back toward the counter. He was about to refill Kirk's soda, the thirteen year old always planting himself at Luke's counter-with a comic book-after school, when his phone rang.

He replaced Kirk's glass, moving towards the phone and picking it up, "Luke's?" he expected someone wanting takeout, but was surprised when a voice asked, "Are you Lucas Danes?"

"Yeah," he responded a little testily. He hated when people called him 'Lucas.'

"This is Nurse Quinn from New York Community Hospital…"

Luke's first thought was: _Crap, what did Liz do now? _If he knew his sister like he did, there was no doubt this was about her. _She_ had wanted to move to New York, _she_ had packed herself and her son up, and _she _was prone to getting into trouble. Something _must _have happened to her; unless it was Jess. And if something happened to her son…

He let his eyes ghost around his diner, knowing that if he continued this conversation around these people it would be the talk of the town. So, Luke said," Hold on," and maneuvered around the counter, still wondering just what his sister had done now. The phone line stretched nearly taut, he closed himself into the storage room. "What can I do for you?" Luke questioned sitting down on a bucket.

"Mr. Danes we found your sister and her boyfriend dead, in their apartment," Nurse Quinn said slowly. It felt like his stomach had dropped to somewhere near his feet. "We need you to claim the body."

"How did she…?" Luke asked through numb lips. He was suddenly cold. Why was he so cold? He recalled being warm seconds beforehand.

"The doctor will explain more," the nurse interrupted sounding like she wanted the call to end.

"Hey, my sister just died," Luke argued, anger warming him slightly.

"Sir, this is not the first phone call I've made. Not the first junkie to die. I'm sorry if I don't have sympathy for people like that."

Luke growled, but managed to push his retort away. With some forced calm, he asked, "What about her son? Jess?" Luke hadn't seen Jess in almost two years. Not since the day of his father's funeral, when Liz announced she was packing her and her son up and moving to New York. It wasn't like Luke hadn't tried to go see Jess, he did, but Liz would never stay in one place long enough for him to visit.

"He's fine, a little malnourished, a couple bruises, but otherwise he'll be okay." A couple bruises? What the hell did that mean? "Mr. Danes, we found your number in your sister's purse. We really need you to…"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

The nurse hung up, the dial tone droning in Luke's ear. He glanced down at the floor, letting his phone fall from his hand. His sister was dead, Liz was dead. A small part of him wasn't surprised, and he hated that part. The rest of him just felt numb. He slowly pushed himself to his feet, walking out of the storage room.

He looked around his diner, at all the people talking and laughing, none of them aware of what had just happened. He knew there was no reason to be angry with any of them, they didn't kill his sister, but all of a sudden he wanted everyone out.

"Out! He shouted, the entire diner going silent. "Everyone out! Out! Out! We're closed!" he pulled his dish towel from his pocket, brandishing it at the closest table. Andrew jumped to his feet, knocking his plate to the floor. He rushed toward the door, the others quickly following. Once the place was cleared out, Ceaser threw him a confused look from the kitchen.

Luke let out a great gust of air. "Take the rest of the day," he said to the younger guy and rushed out of the diner. He had a two hour drive to make.

**GG**

Luke hated hospitals. They always had a funny smell, sick people were around every corner, and he had watched both his parents die in a hospital. Rarely did anything good ever happen to him in a hospital. He wasn't looking forward to this visit at all.

He parked his truck next to an Oldsmobile but didn't turn the truck off right away. Instead he stared out the windshield, looking past the traffic and buildings. The whole way he had tried to convince himself that it wasn't Liz. He tried to convince himself that perhaps she had left her purse with a friend. A friend who had been the one killed, and maybe she had a little boy, too. But that was wishful thinking on his part; the nurse had said 'claim the body' not 'I.D. the body.'

He turned his truck off, pulling the keys from the ignition. He took a breath before pushing his door open and getting out of the vehicle. Then he locked up his truck, pocketed his keys, and slowly walked toward the entrance.

It took a half an hour until he actually spoke to the head nurse. It took him twenty more minutes for her to actually get a hold of the doctor who pronounced Liz dead. While he was waiting for the doctor, he approached the nurse again.

"Sir, he'll be down here as soon as he's…" she started looking up at him.

"No, do you know where my nephew is? He's three, dark hair, brown eyes…" he was going off what he knew about Jess. He was fairly certain his looks hadn't changed much in two years. He may have gotten slightly taller, most likely spoke more, but it wasn't like he was a new person.

"The little boy brought in with her?" the nurse asked and Luke nodded. "He was with the social worker."

"And where's she?"

"She's…" the nurse trailed off, reaching for her phone, but stopped and nodded behind Luke. "There she is." Luke turned to see a red head walking toward him carrying a small, dark haired boy. He moved toward the woman, his eyes on his nephew. There was no denying Jimmy was Jess' father. They shared the same dark hair and the same dark eyes. There was also a chance Jess probably wouldn't be as tall as Luke when he got older, either.

"Hi," he greeted the woman still looking at Jess, taking in the bruises on his arm and across his face. Luke didn't want to believe his sister could do this, but he knew what she liked to do; he knew the kind of guys she attracted… Wait, strike that; _had_ liked to do; _had_ attracted. She could no longer do those things or attract those people.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked and Luke looked her way.

"He's my nephew," he responded slowly.

"Liz Danes was your sister?" the lady asked carefully. Luke nodded, his mind too preoccupied to get annoyed with the woman for asking something he had already confirmed. She looked toward the nurse, who was just getting off the phone, and said, "Can you confirm he is her brother?"

"I checked his I.D. twice. I'm fairly certain he is Lucas Danes."

The social worker turned her attention back to Luke, unconsciously tightening her hold on Jess, and said, "I would like to discuss your nephew's living arrangements with you."

"Okay," Luke replied.

"Let's go sit over here," the woman said and led Luke over to two seats in the corner, away from the patients waiting for medical attention.

Luke awkwardly sat down, wondering when the woman was going to hand Jess over. It's not like he was some stranger who owned a windowless van; he was his uncle.

"Was the man found with your sister your nephew's father?" The nurse _had_ mentioned a boyfriend. Luke figured he was partially responsible for Jess' bruises. If he wasn't already dead, Luke would have rung his neck.

"No, Jess' father hasn't been in the picture for three years," Luke replied recalling Jimmy going for diapers and conveniently forgetting to return to his wife and newborn son. He was another man Luke wanted to strangle.

"Do you know where we can find him?"

"I honestly don't think he wants a three year old hanging around."

"I see," the social worker muttered. "Is there any other relatives who can take Jess?"

"Our dad died almost two years ago, our mom's been gone for almost two decades. We have an uncle who lives in Florida, but I _know_ he doesn't want any children." Luke was starting to wonder why the woman just didn't ask him to take Jess. He may not like children, but it wasn't like he was going to abandon Jess like everyone else.

"Mr. Danes, we have reason to believe this boy has been physically abused. He would not allow the male EMTs to touch him, barely trusted the female EMT, and took some convincing to let me pick him up."

"What does this…?"

"I know you are wondering why I haven't suggested he go with you, and here's why. I am not sure how ready you are to take care of a child in Jess' situation."

"But he's my nephew."

"And he has been abused by his mother and her boyfriends. Did you know he was taken, twice, from your sister? She managed to get him back, but it was only a matter of time before she failed to do just that. I'm not sure how Jess will respond to being taken by another male, especially if he's scared of being hit again."

"Are you suggesting…?" Luke trailed off. "I would never hit him!"

"But how can I be sure of that?"

Luke could see where the woman was coming from, but it still didn't make him less angry. This was Jess' well-being they were talking about, what was best for Jess; sending him to live in an orphanage, when his uncle was willing to take him, didn't sound like the lady had Jess' best interests at heart.

"Look, I know you think you have Jess' best interest at heart, and this may be selfish, but my sister just died. She was one of the few people I had left. By taking Jess away, by not giving me the chance to raise him, makes me feel like I'm failing Liz somehow.

"And I know, I know, he was abused, he may not trust me, but by not giving me the chance you're pretty much saying he can never learn to trust me; that he can never learn to trust anyone." Luke watched the woman carefully, wondering if she was going to laugh in his face and take Jess anyway. What she did, instead, didn't surprise him that much, but he still didn't like it.

She took a breath, let it out, and said, "I cannot allow you to take Jess home tonight, not without following the proper procedures."

"But…" Luke began to protest

"It's the way things are done, Mr. Danes," the social worker spoke over him. "But I will allow him to sit with you. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Luke agreed after a moments hesitation. Deep down, he knew he wasn't going to sway this lady's decision.

"Okay." With some reluctance, she slowly handed Jess over. At first, the mistrust in Jess' eyes made Luke think the small boy was going to throw a fit. But instead he allowed himself to be taken by Luke, though the older man could feel his nephew quiver slightly.

"Hey, it's okay," he whispered to Jess.

Luke wasn't a kid person; he usually found them sticky, dirty, and annoying, but with Jess it was different. He felt the instant connection. He wanted to protect this little boy no matter what. "I'm your uncle Luke," he continued when the boy's large, brown eyes looked up at him. He gave Jess a smile, wrapped his arms around him, and whispered, "I'll never hurt you. I promise…"


	2. Procedures

**A big thanks to BrokeDaisy. Although I can get annoying and neurotic about my writing, she puts up with me. Thanks :)**

**GG**

The social worker gave Luke a few more minutes before she got down to business. "Okay," she started when he looked up at her, "in order for you to take Jess home I need to get a few things in order. First, a background check must be done."

"Check whatever you need," Luke said without hesitation. He didn't have a criminal record, barely did enough to get into trouble when he was younger. Actually, except for irritating Taylor at the town meetings, he hadn't actually done anything. "What else?"

"I'll need you to fill out some paperwork, and I'd need to inspect your home. Also getting a character reference written, on your behalf, wouldn't hurt." He'd get Maisy or Buddy to write him a letter, either one would be happy to. "But that's just so he can go home with you. Once that happens, you are more than welcome to start trying to file for permanent custody.

"From there, it will be a longer process. A lot more paperwork, some court time. I'd advise you to hire a lawyer especially if the courts manage to track down the birth father."

"Believe me, if Jimmy wanted anything to do with Jess he wouldn't have taken off," Luke muttered remembering how Liz insisted Jimmy was coming back. '_He'll be back, big brother. Don't worry about it.'_ Except he never came back and now Jess was parentless; Luke unconsciously tightened his hold on his nephew.

"It's just a precaution, Mr. Danes," the social worker replied. "We can start the paperwork as soon as you're ready, but it probably won't be until Friday when you can actually take Jess home."

"That's three days."

"It's the fastest way, Mr. Danes. We could easily draw this out."

"Are you _sure_ you can't move the inspection to tonight or tomorrow?" he was reaching sure, but he couldn't let his nephew stay in a boys' home for three days. He'd take whatever test he had to, let her do whatever she had to, just so he could have Jess sooner. He'd prove to this woman he wasn't a stark, raving lunatic.

"Mr. Danes," she started in a tired voice, "background checks take time."

"I'll save you the trouble of getting one done. If you talk to the sheriff in my town, he'll tell you the worst thing I've done is Double Park once. I swear you won't find anything on me."

She sighed, "If I move the inspection up to tomorrow and have my offices start the background check now Jess might be able to go home with you by Thursday. Will that be okay?"

It would have to do, so Luke nodded and gave her his address just as the nurse called him over. The social worker stood up, looking at Jess expectantly. Luke stood, keeping an awkward hold of Jess. He didn't want to hand his nephew over, but standing on a chair and saying '_no, mine_' sounded a tad childish. So, he allowed the social worker to take Jess.

"No," a small voice said and tiny hands reached out to Luke. "No." Jess shook his head, still reaching for his uncle.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Danes," the social worker spoke over Jess' protests.

"Okay," Luke responded fighting the urge to snatch the little boy from the woman's arms. The social worker grabbed her purse, handing Luke a business card with some difficulty, and carried Jess away. Luke could hear the little boy's protests echoing down the hallway.

"Mr. Danes," the nurse called again and he looked over at her. She nodded at a tall, dark doctor walking toward him.

"Thanks," he said to the nurse as he pocketed the business card and walked toward the doctor.

"Mr. Danes," the doctor said holding out his hand. "I'm Doctor Derrick Benson." They shook hands and Benson lead Luke towards the elevators. "Your sister was brought in with a gunshot wound to her chest."

"So she didn't…" Luke trailed off. All this time he had thought Liz OD'd, but it seemed her 'winner' shot her before shooting himself. He wasn't sure how to feel about that, his brain still trying to wrap around the fact that she was dead.

"She flat lined in the ambulance, but we were unable to bring her around when she arrived," Benson continued pressing the call button. The elevator doors slid open a moment later and they both stepped onto the car.

"I had a nurse check her purse, and she matched the photo on her id. Though, I don't think she was twenty-four." She wasn't. Liz had just celebrated her twentieth birthday about a month ago. She had called Luke that night. There was no doubt she was drunk, and she complained about how Dennis took the car. Luke figured she wanted a ride, but before he could offer (not that he wanted to drop everything, once again, for his little sister) Dennis came back and Liz hung up.

That had been the last time Luke talked to his sister. He couldn't believe her last words to him would always be: '_Dennis is back I've gotta… I might puke_.' The sad part about it all, Luke still wasn't surprised one bit. And just like before, he hated himself for feeling that way, but it was only a matter of time.

The elevator dinged and Benson led Luke down a dimly lit hallway, towards a door marked 'morgue.' Luke couldn't help comparing his situation to every clichéd movie scene. The dark hallway, the dark morgue, the worker standing next to a gurney, the gurney holding a body: it was as close to a horror movie as Luke wanted to be at that point.

Benson opened the morgue's doorway, and Luke was nearly blinded by the bright light. It seemed the hallway just needed new light bulbs.

The coroner was sitting at his desk, filling out a report when they walked in. He looked up at their arrival, pushing himself to his feet. "So which are you: the accident victim, gunshot victims, or the heart attack?"

Luke didn't answer right away, too busy going over the coroner's approach. The guy was professional enough, and he wasn't being rude or anything, but the way he was speaking made Luke realize he probably had done this job _way_ too long.

"Gunshot, Nate," Benson replied and the coroner nodded, walking toward one of the doors. "Female," the doctor said before Nate could open one of the drawers. He nodded, moving onto the drawer next to it. He pulled the door open, towing the body from the drawer.

"That's her," Luke said when Nate pulled the sheet away from Liz's face. She could have been sleeping, had there not been blood on her face and in her blond hair. The doctor started talking about moving the body and funeral arrangements, but Luke barely took any of it in. His sister was lying there, dead. She was really dead.

_Oh God, Liz._

**GG**

Luke didn't go home right away that night. Instead, he drove straight to Maisy and Buddy's place and explained to them what was going on. The elder couple was shocked by the news, but both agreed to write a character reference for Luke. He only needed one, but he figured two may increase his chances.

He hung around their house a while after, just waiting for them to finish. He knew asking for a reference with no notice was a little selfish of him, but if was for Jess. He wasn't losing Jess if he could help it.

Once they were finished, sometime around midnight, he left. Maisy offered to come with him, but he didn't want anyone to be around him. He had too much on his mind; he didn't think he could entertain. Of course, he told her he was just tired and that he'd probably go to bed once he got home. After all, it _had _been a long day.

But he didn't go to bed when he got home. Instead, he started cleaning up his place. He wasn't generally a dirty person, but he did have the daily clutter lying around. He was glad his father had done all those restorations to his office. Otherwise the place would have definitely _not_ been big enough for him and Jess.

He figured he could always buy a cheap kid's bed and put it in the big, empty space that had once been part of the plate store next to his. His father had helped the owner out a lot when he was first opening his business, so the guy allowed William to expand his office. It was supposed to be for a desk for the partner he was going to get, but he had never found anyone he liked before he died.

Once the place looked semi-presentable, Luke called Caesar to tell him _Luke's_ would be closed for the rest of the week. He had to get Jess settled, buy the kid some kid stuff, and plan a funeral for Liz. Not to mention he had to get to the court house sometime next week to petition for permanent custody of Jess.

He wished he could afford another employee, but figured he could always ask Maisy or Buddy to come down and help with the diner during the next couple weeks. They would help him, no problem.

He didn't want to bother all these people, but he knew he needed to. He wasn't good with the whole 'getting help from others' thing. His father was the same way. In fact, he was fairly certain it ran in the Danes family.

It was well after three when Luke finally went to sleep. The social worker-her name was Angela according to her card-was going to be there by eight the next morning. Meaning Luke was probably only going to be getting three hours of sleep. It was times like these he actually considered drinking coffee.

**GG**

Luke stood in the corner, watching as Social Worker Angela and her friend 'other social worker' (he said his name, but Luke was too tired to listen properly) wandered around his apartment. They made notes on their clipboards a few times, had asked a few questions here and there, and had pretty much dissected Luke's apartment apart without really touching anything.

"Where will Jess be sleeping?" Angela asked as her friend scanned the bathroom.

"I was thinking of buying a bed, putting it over here," Luke replied leading her over to the open space. "My dad had been looking for a partner, when he started getting bad, but he wasn't an easy guy to work with and never found anyone.

"I can also getting a dresser and maybe building a bookshelf. I've never actually tried to build a bookshelf, I've only really worked on my dad's boat and some woodworking projects in high school."

"Angela," the other social worker called, cutting off whatever Angela's response was going to be. She wandered over to her friend, leaving Luke standing alone. He watched as they spoke in quick whispers, each one looking at their notes, and finally Angela nodded.

"Okay, Mr. Danes everything seems to be in order. Your background check checked out, we have your character references, and we've inspected your home. We will call you later today when we've reached a decision."

"Okay," Luke replied and walked the two social workers out. Once they were gone, instead of worrying about whether or not he passed he started making phone calls to local funeral homes. He talked to three, and all three said the same: cremation was cheaper.

He would have loved to have a ceremony for Liz, but if he looked at the bigger picture. He would have to go cheaper and a ceremony would be a little pointless. The only people who'd show up would be a couple of her weird high school friends, _possibly_ a junkie or two, him, Jess, and Buddy and Maisy. He'd rather keep Jess away from any of Liz's friends, and Buddy and Maisy wouldn't appreciate being around any junkies. Besides, he figured he could always bury her with his mother and father later.

Once the phone calls were made, he started getting phone calls from neighbors. How they found out was beyond Luke, but they were a never ending string of condolences, 'if you need anything's,' and all that crap that came with the death of a loved one.

Babette talked his ear off for almost twenty-five minutes about her Great Aunt Lissy's death. When he managed to end the connection it was almost four-thirty. He had really hoped Social Worker Angela hadn't called when he was talking to the town crazies. That wouldn't make a good impression if the social worker tried calling several times.

Around five, while Luke was cooking himself something to eat (he realized he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning), his phone rang. He didn't rush towards it, figuring it was another town's folk. He wondered if changing his number would be a good idea, and was debating whether or not to do that, when he answered, "Yeah?"

"_Mr. Danes?"_

Oh, that had to be a good impression, barking into the phone_. "_Yeah, this is he… I am him…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

"_Well, Mr. Danes, he's yours_," the voice said and Luke finally realized he recognized it. Social Worker Angela had called him back.

"What?"

"_Everything looks good. Just plug those electric sockets up, get him a bed, and you can bring him home_." It took all of Luke's self-control not to whoop in the air. "_Now,"_ the social worker continued, "_you can come get him tomorrow at nine. While you're here I'll have you fill out the paperwork. And then we can discuss you petitioning for permanent custody."_

"Okay," Luke responded nodding. This was probably the best thing that had happened since the hospital called him yesterday. They hung up a couple minutes later and Luke looked around his apartment, figuring he should probably go get some furniture for Jess.

He grabbed his keys, wondering if he could find some stuff at a discount store or get some of his old furniture out of storage. If it got him out of _a _lot of shopping, he'd do just about anything. And, even thought he sold most of his old stuff, he was fairly certain he kept a few things.

He started making mental notes as he walked out of his apartment, wondering if he could maybe make a stop at Liz's place to get some of Jess' stuff. Angela had given him the address when she stopped by to inspect his home.

He stopped, realizing the place was most likely still a crime scene. Of course, they weren't exactly looking for the murderer; Liz had been killed by her boyfriend before the guy put the gun to his own head. Luke figured he'd check with the building manager tomorrow, before he picked Jess up. With a plan in mind, Luke headed out to the storage place where he kept all his parents' old stuff.

**GG**

Once he cleared it of his childhood toys (a box full of Curious George and Dr. Seuss books and some old Tinker toys), he headed toward a thrift store in Hartford. He found a good priced bed and a dresser set along with a small, squashy chair. All three pieces were in decent enough condition, and the store owner was kind enough to help Luke load the stuff in the back of his truck.

After a trip to a department store for those electric socket things, sheets, a pillow case, blankets, and a pillow, he drove back home. He figured he could get Jess' clothes tomorrow, if he could get into Liz's apartment. If not, he'd just drive back to the department store once he got Jess.

When he made it home, he realized there might be a problem getting all this stuff back upstairs. He decided he'd have to take the bed apart if he wanted to get it into the door. He went inside, grabbed his tools from upstairs, and was halfway through removing the legs when Andrew and Kirk approached him.

"Hey Luke," Andrew greeted him. Andrew's father owned the bookstore, and he was about a year younger than Luke. Kirk seemed to follow him wherever he went. Luke sometimes suspected Kirk's mother paid Andrew to keep an eye on Kirk, and that was the only reason he hadn't told the thirteen-year-old to get lost.

"Are you moving Luke?" Kirk questioned looking up at the older man. "My uncle tried moving once, but it got so stressful that he divorced his wife and left her all his stuff. The last time we heard from him, he said he had joined the circus. My mother thinks he's crazy, but I wouldn't mind joining the circus. Except I'm afraid of clowns and lions and peanuts…"

"Want any help moving that stuff?" Andrew questioned easily ignoring Kirk. Luke almost said 'no' but talked himself into accepting the help. It would be a lot easier if he didn't have to do it himself. And he could always give Andrew and Kirk a couple burgers as payment.

After the bed was apart, Luke trusting Kirk with the bags and his box of books and nothing more, he and Andrew moved it upstairs. As they returned, Bootsy was standing outside and offered to help, too.

As he and Andrew moved the dresser, Kirk trying to be helpful but only getting in the way, Luke carried the small chair upstairs. Once everything was unloaded into Luke's apartment, he offered Bootsy and Andrew beer and Kirk a soda as he fired up the grill.

"Who's moving in, Luke?" Bootsy asked curiously. The last Luke checked all three were sitting at the counter.

"My nephew," Luke replied from the kitchen.

"How old is he?"

"Three."

"Are you ready for a three-year-old? I mean, my sister has two and they are nightmares."

Luke chose not to comment, and continued to cook them their food. Once it was done he laid three plates down and leaned against the counter.

"Look man, it's your decision," Bootsy continued around a mouthful of burger, "but it's not going to be a cake walk for you."

"At least he'll be getting a good home," Andrew commented absentmindedly. "I doubt Luke would let anything happen to him."

"Just eat your burgers," Luke replied shaking his head. They fell silent, each one enjoying their food, until Kirk exclaimed, "Hey, did you guys read the new Spider Man?" Before either could reply he launched into the plot.

After they all left, Luke gathered their plates. As he started cleaning them he let his mind wander. Tomorrow was going to be just as busy as today, if not more so, and he did _know_ that Bootsy had a point, raising Jess wasn't going to be a cake walk, but he knew parenting was never meant to be one. It was meant to be challenging, and Luke couldn't wait.

**GG**

**Hey guys.**

**I promise next chapter has Luke and Jess together. It's finished. I just have to look it over, send it off to the Beta, and then I'll update it. I'll try for next Friday or Saturday. We'll see how it goes.**

**Thanks ever so much for the reviews and alerts last chapter, they were awesome. I really hope you liked this, drop me a comment if you want, and I do not own these characters.**

**Oh, and I know this has been a very Luke heavy story so far. It won't be that way the _entire_ story, but for a while it'll just be Luke.**

**Now, I'm going.**

**PEACE OUT...**

**P.S. I will probably make some changes for this story. Like the thing with Luke's apartment being extended. I apologize ahead of time.**


	3. He's Yours

**A big thanks to BrokeDaisy for checking this over.**

**GG**

"The police just released the crime scene this morning," the building's superintendent said as he led Luke up a set of stairs. Luke could hear voices and other various noises through the thin, cracked, and dirty walls. The place smelt funny, the stairs creaked, and the ceiling was dripping some unidentifiable green stuff. Luke wondered how the building still had tenants.

"You were Liz's brother?" the superintendant asked as he stopped at the top of the fourth floor staircase.

"Yeah," Luke replied wrinkling his nose as several new smells washed over him.

"Shame she died, she owed me three months rent." He stopped outside of apartment 4E. "Lock up when you're done," he said as he unlocked the door. Luke nodded before ducking under the left over yellow tape.

The living room was trashed. An easy chair was overturned, the small television's screen was cracked down the middle, and the coffee table was in pieces, scattered across the floor. Luke was certain blood was somewhere on the carpet or walls, but he didn't take the time to look for it.

"I had a feeling this was going to happen," a voice said and he turned, spotting an elderly woman standing in the open doorway. "Almost nightly those two would argue. I always felt sorry for her son, Jess. He was such a polite little boy. Don't know where he got it…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Where are my manners? I am… _was_ Liz's neighbor, Ms. Cadan."

"I'm her brother, Luke." He moved across the room, offering Cadan his hand. She shook it, letting her eyes scan the room.

"I was afraid that rotten bastard shot that little boy," she muttered when Luke released her hand. "He had a rotten temper, worse than Liz's last boyfriend. But when the police showed up and they found Jess hiding in the closet I just felt so relieved." Her eyes glazed over for a minute, her mind far away.

Slowly she shook her head, coming back to herself, and said, "Are you here to get Jess' things?"

Luke nodded, glancing around the apartment again. There was a short hallway off the living room/kitchen, most likely leading to the bathroom and bedrooms.

"I have only been in here once or twice, but I am sure he slept back here." Cadan walked past Luke, moving toward the hallway. Luke turned and followed her, looking straight ahead. If he didn't see the blood, if he didn't think about what went on here, he could get through this.

"Here," Cadan announced opening a door. Inside the room there was a small mattress on the floor, a small box full of clothes, and a raggedly lion sitting on top of a stack of books. "I gave him those books. Liz had asked me to watch him for a while a few weeks ago, and I found him looking through them. They were just lying around from when my son was younger."

"Can he read?" Luke questioned turning to look at Cadan. He didn't think most three-year-olds could read, but it probably wasn't uncommon.

"I think he can understand a few of the words, but he mostly just looks at the pictures and makes up his own stories; him and his lion." She pointed at the stuffed animal. Its left ear was hanging off, some of his mane was missing, and his left eye was gone. Luke figured he could easily fix it with some time.

"How are you doing?" Cadan asked curiously and Luke looked her way.

"I'm fine," he responded glancing back at the lion. "Who gave him that lion?" he was avoiding the subject, but it really wasn't this lady's business how he was doing. Besides, he wasn't exactly sure how he felt. There was too much going on with him right now to really pinpoint what he was feeling.

"I think Liz bought it for him. I don't know. He had it when they moved in." At least Cadan knew when to let the subject drop. Luke silently thanked her for that.

She helped him pack up what little belongings Jess owned. She followed him to the doorway, and Luke turned to thank her.

"You take care of that little boy okay," she said before he could open his mouth. Luke nodded, said good-bye, and carried the box down the steps and out the door to his truck.

He put the box on the floor and started his truck, checking his watch. He had a little over an hour to get to Social Worker Angela's office.

**GG**

He managed to get lost twice, but eventually found the child service's office. He parked on the street, out front, feeding the meter. It was a small office, squashed between a coffee place and a pawn shop. Luke was fairly certain there was a bail bondsman across the street.

When Luke walked inside, he spotted a plant sitting next to the door. There were a few doors scattered across the interior, names etched across the wood. Luke found the right one in seconds and knocked.

"Come in," a familiar voice said and Luke pushed the door open. Inside the office, Social Worker Angela sat at her desk while Jess was sitting on the floor, _The Cat in the Hat_ lying across his lap. He looked up at his uncle's entrance, his slowly healing face lighting up.

"Hi," Luke said smiling down at Jess. The little boy smiled back before looking back at his book.

"Mr. Danes, you're early," Angela exclaimed putting her pen down and checking her watch.

"Oh sorry," he said looking at her.

"That's okay," she replied smiling. "Please, sit down." She gestured to the chair across from her, and Luke obliged. "I have the paperwork here, somewhere." She searched her desk for a few moments, finding the papers underneath a stack of children's books.

"Before I give these to you, Mr. Danes, I have to know: are you sure about this?" Angela gave him a questioning look, and Luke was reminded of Bootsy the night before. Except this time he answered the question.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay."

She went over what Luke needed to sign and fill out, and Luke did as he was instructed. Once the paperwork was finished she smiled and said, "He's yours to take home." An elated feeling washed over Luke as he glanced down at his nephew. "Just a few things to go over before you go. When you ultimately _do_ apply for permanent custody, you are going to need a copy of his birth certificate, your social security card, his, your id, your home address, and work address.

"Ultimately the courts will try to track down the birth father and have him sign over paternity to you. Once they accomplish that, or if they can't find him, they will then set up an interview with you. After the interview they'll give you a court date and the judge will give you his decision. Okay?"

"How do I get a copy of his birth certificate?" Luke replied nodding, having a feeling Jimmy wouldn't put up much of a fight concerning his son.

"You'll need to fill out an application requesting it."

"Okay."

"I'd also advise you to _at least_ talk to a family court lawyer. They'll be helpful and answer the questions I couldn't answer for you." She took a breath, smiling at Luke.

"I really hope you two have a great life," Angela said getting to her feet. Luke copied her, both shaking hands. She then turned to Jess. "Are you ready to go home with your uncle?" Jess nodded, dragging himself to his feet. He tried to hand his book back to Angela, but she shook her head. She crouched down and whispered, "You keep it. Okay?" he nodded once, his brown eyes wide.

"Come on, buddy," Luke said walking toward him. Like last time, he thought Jess was going to throw a fit, but the little boy allowed Luke to pick him up. However, unlike the night they met, he was a tad more content in Luke's arms.

"It was really nice meeting you, Mr. Danes," Angela informed him as she walked him to the exit.

"Likewise," he replied with a smile.

"If you have any questions don't hesitate to call."

"Will do."

"Oh and…" she trailed off, rushing back into her office. She returned a few seconds later with a couple books in her hand. "Here are some parenting books and one on dealing with child abuse. They should help you if you can't get a hold of me."

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye Mr. Danes, bye Jess." She waved before closing the door behind them. Luke carried Jess to his truck, fumbling with the books to get his keys from his pocket. He managed to extract them, but ended up dropping one of the books.

"Crap," he whispered.

"Crap," he heard a small voice say. He glanced down at Jess, who was still holding his book. Luke shook his head once, unlocked the door, and put Jess on his seat. He stooped down, grabbed the book, and heard the same little voice yell, "ZEKE!"

Luke popped up, watching as Jess abandoned his book and crawled across the seat. He scooped up the lion, hugging it close.

"Is Zeke his name?" Luke questioned and Jess nodded. "Who named him that?"

"Mommy," Jess said quietly looked down at the lion. If Luke recalled correctly, Zeke was the name of the man who portrayed The Cowardly Lion in Dorothy's dream. The Wizard of Oz used to be Liz's favorite movie. She could name all the characters, used to sing all the songs, and could get annoying when she recited the lines word for word.

"Where's Mommy?" the question hit Luke hard. He knew Jess was going to ask. Despite her tendency to get high and let her boyfriends hit him, she was still his mother. She still took care of him. He had to be missing her on some level.

"Buddy, Mommy isn't with us anymore," he replied softly meeting Jess' dark eyes.

"How come?

"It was her time to go." Luke had no idea how to explain death to a three-year-old. He glanced at the books in his hand, wondering if there was something in there somewhere. Lucky for Luke, Jess let the subject drop when he spotted a stray cat. He watched the cat for a second before glancing down at his lion. "It's like mine."

"Yep," Luke responded getting into the truck. "Just like yours."

**GG**

"What's dis place?" Jess asked when they pulled up to _Luke's._

"This is where you live now," Luke replied looking up at his diner.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to be taking care of you now."

"Like Anjula said?"

"Exactly like Angela said," Luke informed Jess, nodding. He got out of the truck, walking around to the passenger side. He opened it up, unbuckling Jess' seatbelt and pulling him from the cab. He put him on the sidewalk, and turned to get Jess' things out.

"Luke," he heard a sing-song voice call his name. He turned to see Miss Patty rushing toward him. Jess ran around his legs, clinging to his pant leg. He poked his head out, watching the older woman cautiously.

"I don't blame you," Luke muttered under his breath just as Patty stopped in front of him.

"I just want to check if you were okay, dear," she said in the exact same sympathetic voice people saved for the family of the dead and dying, reaching for his hands.

"I'm fine," Luke responded slowly making a show to tighten his hold on the box. Patty let her hand drop to her side.

"I am sure you are, but I just wanted to check on you. I am no stranger to losing someone close to me. You just have to keep your chin up." she glanced down at Jess, who had hidden himself behind Luke's legs again.

"Who's this?" she asked smiling at Jess.

"This is my nephew, Jess," Luke replied gesturing to the boy with his free hand while he tried to keep the box from falling. "He's going to be living with me."

"I heard about that. I was just wondering when he was going to get here." Luke wasn't surprised by this news; Miss Patty knew almost everything that went on in the town. He _was_ a tad surprised when she said, "Oh, he looks like you."

She crouched down to Jess' height, with some difficulty with her shawls and skirts in the way. "I'm Miss Patty. It's nice to meet you."

Jess kept his face hidden for a few seconds, but very slowly he looked up at her. She smiled and he reluctantly returned it. Miss Patty pushed herself to her feet, meeting Luke's eyes. "If you ever want to sign him up for dance…"

"Good bye, Patty," Luke snapped ushering Jess toward the door.

"Take care, honey," Patty called after him, "and it's nice to meet you Jess!"

"I guarantee it, they are going to be swarming in packs to see you," Luke informed his nephew as he unlocked his diner door. "They don't have enough of a life to keep themselves from butting into other people's lives."

He led Jess through the diner and toward the entryway to the apartment. They climbed the steps, Jess looking around with wide eyes. Luke stopped outside of his apartment, positioning the box so he could unlock the door.

"Welcome home," he said opening the door. Jess hesitated in the threshold for a few seconds before carefully stepping into Luke's apartment. He looked around, slowly wandering through the small space.

Luke left him to his meandering and took the box of clothes, books, and Zeke over to the space where Jess would sleep. He set the box in the corner, making a mental note to put the clothes away later. There was a chance he might have to go shopping again (_shit_) and buy more clothes and maybe some toys for Jess.

"Uncle Luke," he heard Jess say and turned to see him standing a few feet from him. "I needa pee."

"The bathroom's there," Luke replied leading Jess towards the door on the far end of his apartment. "Do you, uh, need any help?" Luke never felt so awkward in his life, staring at Jess praying he didn't need any help. Jess shook his head and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door as best as he could.

Luke wandered over to the couch, knowing it'd be a really weird if he lingered by the door. At least Liz accomplished a few things with her son. Luke would have hated to have to potty train Jess.

He heard a clatter from the bathroom and sprang to his feet. He burst into the room, stopping when he noticed his dad's old, fish-shaped soap dish lying on the floor. The tail end had broken off, and Jess was sitting in the corner with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as tears threatened to spill from his wide, fear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry," he repeated and Luke could see he was visibly shaking. When he tried to approach him, Jess shrank against the wall.

"Hey, it's okay," Luke whispered crouching down to his nephew's height. "Don't worry about it." He glanced back at the broken dish, remembering how his father had bought it at a garage sale for a quarter. He said it was the best deal he ever made. "It was old."

"I'm sorry," Jess said, once again, in a small voice.

"I'm not mad," Luke responded softly, carefully gathering him into his arms. He pushed himself to his feet, carrying him to the couch. He sat down, lightly bouncing his legs up and down.

"Y-you're not mad?" Jess whispered hiccupping, scrubbing at his eyes.

"No," Luke responded softly. He couldn't help hating his sister for introducing Jess to her boyfriends. It seemed whenever he did anything they deemed 'wrong,' whether it was his fault or not, they would punish him. "In fact, I think we can fix it," he continued smiling.

"Really?" Jess hiccupped again.

"Yeah, I think there's some super glue in the storage room. Let's go get it."

"Okay," his nephew replied sniffing, giving Luke a watery smile.

**GG**

Luke called the funeral home that night while Jess sat at the table eating dinner. He made arrangements to have Liz cremated without a service. The director said he wouldn't be able to pick his sister up until Monday, meaning Luke had to make an extra trip to New York after he stopped in Hartford to get the application to apply for Jess' birth certificate.

Once he hung up, he joined Jess at the table. He glanced at Jess' plate, noticing the carrots he had pushed to the edge.

"You don't like carrots?" he asked curiously.

"They're icky," Jess responded pushing another carrot into the pile. "I don' like veg'tables."

"If you eat them we'll have ice cream," Luke responded with a smile. He had heard one of his customers say those exact words to her daughter. It worked with the little girl, maybe it would work on Jess. And Luke could easily make a cone full of sugar free ice cream.

"Ice cream?" his nephew's interests were peaked. "I like ice cream."

"Then eat those carrots or you won't get any."

Jess looked conflicted as he glanced down at his plate. He wanted ice cream, but he didn't want to eat his vegetables. The prospect of ice cream must of looked good to him because he started shoveling carrots into his mouth. Once they were gone, he looked up at Luke expectantly.

"Fine, let's go get some ice cream."

After they had ice cream, Luke left Jess to his own devices while he washed the dishes. Once they were clean, he moved toward the couch to sit down. Instead, Jess was sitting there, a book sitting across his lap, looking up at Luke.

"You want me to read you a story?" Luke asked curiously and Jess nodded. "Okay." He sat down next to his nephew, picking the book up. "_Green Eggs and Ham?_ Your grandma used to read this to your mom and me all the time."

"Really?"

"Yup," Luke replied nodding. "Your grandma loved this book."

"Read it, pwease."

"Okay." He flipped the book open, cleared his throat, and began to read: "'_That Sam I am. That Sam I am. I do not like that Sam I am.'"_

He felt Jess scoot closer to him, his brown eyes settling on the page. He seemed to follow along as Luke read each word, his attention span unlike any three-year-old Luke had ever met. He knew it was because of the book.

"'…_I do so like green eggs and ham! Thank you! Thank you! Sam I am!'"_ Luke closed the book a while later, looking down to see Jess asleep against his arm. He smiled slightly, maneuvering out from underneath his nephew. He set the book onto his kitchenette counter, carefully picking Jess up.

He carried his nephew to his little bed, putting him down onto the mattress. He pulled his shoes off and threw the blankets over him. He carefully kissed the side of his head before getting ready for bed himself. He had to open the diner in the morning.

Luke had been barely asleep when he heard sniffling. He peeled one, heavy eyelid open to see Jess standing next to his bed. His eyes were red and he was carrying Zeke the lion by one arm.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked sitting up.

"I-I can' sleep," Jess hiccupped scrubbing at his eyes.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Jess nodded, rubbing his eyes again and sniffling. "Do you want to sleep up here with me?" Another nod. "Come on."

Luke moved over, helping Jess clamber onto the bed. They took a moment to get situated before Luke felt Jess drift off to sleep again. As he lay there, waiting for sleep to claim him once more, he thought that parenting wasn't _that _hard.

**GG**

**_Green eggs and Ham_ is my favorite children's book :)**

**Thanks for every review, alert, and favorite last chapter. You guys are amazing and I can't think you enough.**

**I do hope you enjoyed this, the next chapter is done as well (and introduces Lorelai a little early. I hope you don't mind). I'll try to update sometime next week.**

**So, I own nothing, thanks for reading, and I should go.**

**PEACE OUT...**


	4. Buddy, Maisy, and Horoscopes

**A big, huge thanks to my beta BrokeDaisy. You are amazing :D**

**GG**

Living with Jess was an adjustment for Luke. First were all the toys and books scattered across the floor. After Luke took Jess to get some toys-or books since the little boy seemed to be drawn to the children's books-he soon realized that the bookshelf thing wasn't such a bad idea. It could be a project he and Jess could do together.

Second, the bed wetting didn't come as a surprise so much as a rude awakening. The first time it happened had been Jess' first night. Luke had awoken to something warm and wet seeping into his clothes and smearing across his arm. Jess had another freak out when he realized what he did, and it took Luke almost ten minutes to convince him he wasn't going to hit him.

Third, were all the people who wanted to meet Jess. The kid was shy, Luke would be the first to admit that, and every time someone new tried to introduce themselves he would hide behind Luke's legs. It didn't bother him unless the diner was busy. It was kind of hard to maneuver around a crowded room with a three-year-old clinging to him.

But the biggest adjustment was Luke having to get used to having someone around. He could handle everything else. The bed wetting (even if he was getting a tad sick of washing his sheets every morning), the clutter, the clinginess, even the questions that Jess was prone to ask when he saw something he didn't understand. He just wasn't used to having anyone around, much less a kid.

It was Monday morning; he and Jess had been up since six. Luke had bought Jess some rubber pants to go over his underwear, hoping to staunch the flow when he peed in his sleep. Social Worker Angela told him it was completely normal at Jess' age and more so with a child in Jess' situation. She assured Luke that once the stress levels passed so should the bed wetting.

Luke was trying to serve as many customers as he could before he had to head to Hartford. He had had to get the application to apply for Jess' birth certificate. After he got the form he had to drive up to New York to pick up Liz's ashes. This was going to be another busy day.

At around eleven, he left Caesar in charge and he and Jess headed out. Jess spent a majority of the car ride to Hartford flipping through the books Luke brought with them, asking the odd question about certain pictures.

The courthouse had been busy and it took almost an hour before Luke was able to get a hold of someone. He managed to procure the application and promptly left, making a mental note to fill it out later. Lately, he had been making so many mental notes he wondered if he should invest in post it notes.

After he left the courthouse, he began the longer drive up to New York. For half of it, Jess slept. According to the books, usually toddlers had a nap schedule. Luke had been too busy to actually think about it. Once he had some spare time, he'd actually put some effort into getting Jess to take naps. But until then, he'd just rely on the kid to know when to sleep.

Jess had another nightmare when they crossed state lines, jerking awake. He damn near burst into tears, and Luke quickly tried to calm him down. When he was certain he avoided a meltdown, he turned the radio on and he and Jess listened to music the rest of the way.

Luke had no idea why he picked a funeral home in New York. He could have easily had Liz's body shipped to Hartford or somewhere closer to Star's Hallow, but it was almost like he _wanted_ her body taken care of as quickly as possible.

**GG**

The man who ran the funeral home had an oily appearance about him. Not just in looks, but in the way he ran business. He wanted money and he'd do anything to get it.

He led Luke and Jess down a hallway, toward a small room. He told them to wait outside and he disappeared behind the door. He returned a moment later carrying a small urn. He handed the urn over, Luke paid him and filled out some paperwork, and he left as quickly as he could.

The drive home was quiet. Jess stared out the window, his books lying abandoned next to him. Liz sat between them, in a sense, making Luke really uncomfortable. He had no idea where he was going to put her, but he knew he'd have to put her somewhere.

"You hungry?" Luke asked some time later as they crossed state lines again. Jess nodded looking up to meet his uncle's blue eyes. "Then let's stop to eat." Luke drove a little ways, pulling into the parking lot of a familiar tavern. It probably wasn't responsible to bring a child to a tavern, but the place did sell food. And it wasn't like Luke was going to get drunk.

"What's dis place?"

"This is where my friends work," Luke responded shutting his truck off. He pulled the keys from the ignition, got out of the truck, and jogged around the vehicle to help Jess down. He carried his nephew into the busy tavern, setting him down when they were indoors.

"Lucas, is that you?" he heard Maisy's voice call from across the tavern. He spotted her moving around tables and customers, and soon she was right at his side. "We haven't heard from you since your sister…" her words trailed off into a sigh. She looked down, Jess scurrying behind Luke's legs. "This must be Jess."

"Yeah," Luke replied glancing down to see his nephew peek his head out. It was a repeat of the day he met Miss Patty. Actually, it was a repeat of the entire weekend.

"He looks like you," Maisy commented smiling down at the little boy. "Except those eyes. Those must be from his father."

"Yup."

Maisy gave Jess one more look before turning her attention to Luke. "A table just cleared. If you'd like to wait a minute, you can have it."

"Thanks."

She led them to the back of her restaurant, quickly clearing and wiping down the table before letting Luke and Jess sit down.

"Would you like a booster seat?" she asked when they were situated. Jess' head barely cleared the table, his brown eyes and curly mop the only thing Luke could see.

"Yeah, that would be great," Luke responded and Maisy disappeared to the back. She reappeared with a plastic booster chair and soon Jess could see over the table.

"I'll be back with a menu," she said and scurried away.

"Kid, we are going to have to work on your shyness," Luke informed Jess as the little boy let his eyes scan the room. "Take it from personal experience; it's not always good to be a hermit..." Luke's words trailed off as Maisy returned with one menu, two place mats, and a bucket of crayons.

Luke could tell she wanted to say something else, but her name was called and, with a promise to return to take their order, she hurried away again. He knew it was useless, she was going to bring them what she thought was best.

"Can I color?" Jess asked pointing at the bucket.

"Yeah," Luke replied moving the menu, leaving access to the blank place mat. He dumped the crayons across the surface, placing the bucket under the table, near his feet.

While Jess busied himself with his drawing, Luke glanced down at the menu, scanning the back story of how Sniffy's came to be. Luke had read through it once, a long time ago, and wasn't sure he could read through it again. So, he just opened it, skimming the food choices even though he had the menu memorized.

"You know you shouldn't bring kids to places like these," a new voice said, "especially when the owner is an old coot." Luke put the menu down, smiling up at Buddy.

"Hey, I was wondering where you were."

"We're breaking in a new employee. He keeps breaking things." He glanced down at Jess, who had stopped drawing and was looking up at Buddy with wide eyes. "This must be Jess." He crouched down to the little boy's eye level. "What's that behind your ear?" he asked reached behind Jess' head, the little boy almost flinching, only to freeze when Buddy showed him the quarter in his hand.

"You should clean your ears more," Buddy commented handing Jess the quarter. Carefully, the little boy took the quarter, staring at it. Luke opened his mouth to tell him to say 'thank you' but was surprised when Jess quietly said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Buddy replied smiling. A crash sounded from the kitchen, over the sea of voices, and the older man's smile fell from his face with a sigh. "I have to go check on that. I'll be back." He headed back to the kitchen, zig-zagging around the crowd.

"What do you have?" Luke asked turning his attention back to Jess.

"A dime?" he guessed still looking at the quarter.

"Nope, that's a quarter," Luke corrected slowly.

"Qwarty?

"Yeah, and it's worth twenty-five cents."

"Tenty-five cents?"

"Exactly," Luke informed the kid with a smile. "You're a smart kid, you know?" Jess didn't respond. He carefully put the quarter on the table and returned to his drawing.

**GG**

Luke had ordered grilled chicken for him and chicken fingers for Jess. What he was served was grilled salmon and Jess ended up with a grilled cheese and a handful of fries. Luke was used to Maisy doing this and didn't give it much thought. She did it to everyone.

He and Jess ate in silence, the latter continuing to draw while he ate. When they finished, Luke stayed a while and talked to Maisy and Buddy. The tavern began to clear out as it got later, and Jess began to get tired. By the time they left, a half asleep Jess handed his drawing to Buddy.

"Look," he said showing Maisy and then she showed Luke. He couldn't tell what it was, but whatever Jess tried to draw caught Maisy's attention.

"I'm going to hang it up," she announced smiling Jess' way.

"I think it's time we went home," Luke said gathering his nephew into his arms. "Thanks guys."

"You take care, Luke."

Maisy and Buddy walked him to the exit, giving Luke a wave as he headed toward his truck. He placed Jess in the passenger seat, buckled his seat belt, and closed the door as quietly as he could. He waved back at his old friends before jogging around the driver side, getting in the cab, and bringing the truck to life.

The drive home was completely silent. Jess slept the whole way, and Luke was glad he hadn't had another nightmare. He had a feeling one would most likely hit sometime tonight, but at least they waited until they were home.

**GG**

Luke hated bath time, just like Jess did. Nephew or not, he felt a little awkward helping a child get clean. But, since they'd had to have bath time a lot, mostly in the morning when Jess had his accidents, Luke was starting to get used to it. And Tuesday morning was no different.

Jess sat in the tub, trying hard not to shake, his curly mop plastered to his head as Luke poured one, final cup of water over him. "There, the soaps out," he said putting the cup down.

"I-I don't like that," Jess stammered crossing his arms and gripping his shoulders with his hands. "I gets soap in my eyes."

"We'll get you a washrag next time," Luke told him as he got a towel. "Let's get you out." He hauled his nephew from the tub, helped him dry off, and handed him a set of clothes to change into.

Once Jess was dressed, Luke carefully ran a comb through his hair, Jess wincing when he caught a snarl, and soon the little boy looked ready for the day.

Luke stripped his bed, again, and took his sheets into the bathroom. His washer and dryer were shoved against the wall, next to the sink. It was the only place he could put it without it getting in the way. He shoved them in the washer, added soap, and turned it on.

"Okay," he said walking out of the bathroom. He grabbed his hat from the counter, cramming it on his head. "Let's go open the diner." Jess collected Zeke and _The Cat in the Hat_ and followed Luke out of the apartment.

Jess had gotten used to only one person in the five days he had lived with Luke: Caesar. It was probably because Caesar was always around, the one constant at _Luke's_ no matter what time of day. Or it could be because Caesar snuck him cookies when he thought Luke wasn't looking.

Today was no different. As the day wore on, and more and more people came and went from the diner, Jess would either stick to Luke like glue or sit at the counter and ask Caesar question after question about his activities.

At two, Luke and Jess headed out so he could drop off the application for Jess' birth certificate. The lady at the courthouse informed Luke it should arrive, special delivery, at his diner, in five work days. While he was there, he asked for a new social security card for Jess.

Before she'd give it to him, he had to prove he was Jess' uncle. So, he gave her Social Worker Angela's number so she could confirm he was trying to get custody of Jess. Though not one-hundred percent convinced, the file clerk had to hand over a copy of Jess' social security card when everything checked out.

It was around four when Jess and Luke returned home. A few customers were eating dinner, but the place wasn't too busy. Luke placed Jess at the counter, leaving him with a coloring book and crayons (curtsey of Maisy), and grabbed a pot of coffee to refresh anyone's cup.

"Luke, we haven't seen much of you lately," Babette commented when he stopped by her table.

"Yeah, man," her husband Maury replied holding a fork full of potatoes.

"I've been busy," Luke informed her, pouring steaming liquid into her mug.

"With the little guy?" Babette questioned with a smile, nodding her head towards Jess. "He's such a cutie. He'll be a looker when he gets older." Luke chose not to respond and walked back behind the counter. _This town was full of crazies._

**GG**

The morning Jess' birth certificate arrived, found Luke's place busier than usual. While the business side of him was thrilled, the hermit side didn't want to deal with all these people. He was a torn individual.

Every half hour, Luke would check on Jess, who had hidden in the stairway leading up to the apartment. A few times he had poked his head out, but otherwise had stayed out of the way. It was as if he could sense Luke needed him to lay low for a while, just until business died down. Or he was avoiding the mess of people. Luke was banking on the latter.

Around eleven, Luke was taking Gypsy's order when he felt someone poke him between the shoulder blades. "One second," he said without turning around, writing down the last of the mechanic's order.

"And don't forget to make the bacon extra crispy," Gypsy informed him and Luke nodded, feeling another prod.

"One second," he repeated turning to see a dark haired, blue eyes girl standing behind him.

"Hi, I would like some coffee," she said smiling up at him.

"One second," he said a third time maneuvering around her to give Gypsy's ticket to Caesar.

"You don't understand," the girl exclaimed chasing after him, her words almost meshing together. "I _need_ coffee. You don't know how bad I need it. It's like Tony Montana and his coke addiction, except much, much worse. I can feel my hands shaking. Look." She ran ahead of him, waving her (quite steady) hand in his face.

"Your hand looks fine," he grumbled grabbing her shoulder and turning her so he had access to Caesar. "Extra crispy bacon," he informed the younger man. He then grabbed a plate full of food, turning to see the girl still standing a few inches from him, and said, "Get out from behind here, go sit down, and I will get to you. A few minutes isn't going to kill you."

"But it could. Or it could cause me to turn around, take your cook's spatula, and start murdering everyone in here. Do you want your diner to become a crime scene?" the girl continued to follow him through the diner.

"Wait your turn," Luke snapped setting the plate of food in front of Rabbi Barns.

"Oh if only I could, but I can't. I just can't," the girl responded and began coughing. "You see (cough) if I don't get any coffee (cough) I could die." She gave another, more horrible fake cough.

"You're being annoying. Go sit down." He moved past her, towards the counter again.

"I want to speak to your manager," she demanded stopping short of the counter.

"I own the place," he retorted turning to face her.

"Then when's your birthday?" she changed tactics, leaning against the surface, confusing Luke.

"What? I'm not telling you…"

"I'll sing The Bangles. I mean it." she opened her mouth, no doubt ready to sing, so Luke relented, "November 8."

"Okay." She turned to Bootsy, who was reading a newspaper, and asked, "Can I see that?"

"Sure," he said handing her the paper. Curiously, Luke watched as she scoured the pages, obviously looking for something. When she found it, her blue eyes lit up and she ripped it from the paper. She handed the rest of the newspaper back to Bootsy, reached over the counter to take Luke's pen from his pocket, and hid the page with her arm as she began to write.

"What are you…?"

"Shh," she snapped and continued to write. Once she was done she handed it over and said, "There ya go." Luke looked down at the scrap of paper, rolling his eyes as he read: _You'll meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she'll go away._

"Fine," he snapped back just wanting her to go away. He grabbed the coffee pot, snatched up a to-go cup, and poured some coffee into it. He put a lid on top, shoving it towards the woman.

"Thank you," she responded smiling, handing his pen back. "I'd hold onto that horoscope if I were you. Keep it in your wallet."

"And why would I do that?" Luke questioned curiously.

"It could bring you luck," she replied throwing a couple ones on the counter. "Nice meeting you, Duke." And she left, Luke shaking his head slowly back and forth. Yep, definitely full of crazies.

**GG**

**Yes, as promised, I introduced Lorelai early. I couldn't help myself. I hope you guys/gals don't mind :)**

**Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and just plain reading last chapter. You guys are amazing.**

**So, drop me a comment if you want, I do not own these characters, and I'm going to go.**

**PEACE OUT...**


	5. Lorelai and Rory

**A big 'cyber hug' to my beta: BrokeDaisy. You are awesome :D**

**Yes, this is the second chapter in two days. It was done quicker than I expected, and so here I am updating again.**

**So, thanks so, so much for reviewing, alerting, and reading.**

**I do not own these characters**

**And I'll catch in chapter six (whenever I update that one :))**

**Drop me a comment.**

**Bye...**

**GG**

On Thursday, Luke managed to fill out the petition and file it. The filing charge wasn't as much as he expected, but it did almost clean out his wallet. The filing clerk told him he would get a call with the date of his interview, and from there the judge would explain what needed to be done.

He drove back home, with Jess passed out in the passenger seat. When they arrived at the diner, he carefully took the small boy from the cab, carrying him towards the building, noticing the girl from the other day sitting at one of the tables. She was with another, red headed girl and a little girl around Jess' age.

"So much for going away," Luke muttered stepping into the diner. He walked past the table, taking Jess up the stairs where he dropped his nephew off on his bed. He left one of the baby monitors, he bought, sitting by the kitchen sink and pocketed the second one before leaving the apartment and back into the diner.

He moved around the counter, intending to grab the coffee pot and refill mugs, when he noticed the blue eyed woman walking towards him.

"I see going away meant coming back," he commented and she smiled.

"I had to bring my friend Sookie here," she replied gesturing to her table. "And my daughter hasn't really been around the town much in the past few weeks. Work has been ridiculous. I mean we are booked up until sometime in July, and this is my only day off. I mean, where are those workers' rights when you need them…?" she trailed off holding her hand out. "I'm Lorelai."

Luke didn't respond right away. He swore she called that little girl 'her daughter.' She barely looked older than nineteen, meaning she had to be…

"Sixteen," she informed him lowering her hand, almost as if she read his mind. "Yeah, a little young to be having a kid, I know, but those pesky teenage hormones seem to sneak up on you." Luke had never met anyone who could fit so many words into such a short span of time.

"So, you must be Luke. Sorry about the Duke thing, but I had a feeling it would bug you, and I was right." She smiled again. "Who was that kid you were carrying? Is her your son? He looks about Rory's age." Lorelai gasped, "Oh my gosh, we could totally have a play date. She doesn't really know any children her own age. I mean, she'llplay with the kids who stay at the inn, but other than that she's usually around adults. I know, a little boring for a three-year-old, but sometimes I wonder if she really is three.

"And isn't that such a weird way to put it? A play _date_? It's like we are trying to pimp them out at three. Pretty soon they'll be addicted to juice boxes and pixie sticks…" she let her words die on her lips, shaking her head slowly. "Sorry, sometimes my mouth is already running seventy miles a minute before my brain has a chance to put its pants on."

She was the most peculiar person he had ever met. And he'd met some strange people in Stars Hallow.

"Anyway, just stopping by to say 'hi'; if you're ever near the Independence Inn stop in, bring Jess. Rory would probably like a new friend. Maybe it'll get her over that awkward, shyness stage. It's strange, she's like me in every way, but she's dreadful around people. Don't get me wrong, she's very polite, a little too polite sometimes, but it's hard to be rude when you barely talk." Lorelai smiled and said, "Well, bye." She waved and walked back to her table.

Luke watched her go, his eyebrows furrowed. A gut feeling told him that was not the last he'd see of Chatty Lorelai.

**GG**

The following morning, Luke wasn't surprised when Chatty Lorelai came into the diner. She was carrying her daughter, but put her down after the door was closed. Now that he could see the little girl up close, Luke could see how closely she resembled her mother: the same dark brown hair, the same blue eyes, and the same fair skin. There was even something in the way they walked.

Jess, who had been sitting at an empty table coloring, had looked up at the girls' arrival. His eyes widened when he noticed the two newcomers, and Luke recognized his 'should I or shouldn't I' bolt face. But something strange happened.

The little girl walked up to him, smiled, and quietly asked, "Can I color, too?"

Jess slowly nodded and she climbed onto a chair, taking a blank sheet of paper from the pile near Jess' arm. He offered her his crayons and said, "I'm Jess."

"Rory."

"I'm impressed," Lorelai commented looking over at her daughter and Luke's nephew.

"Me too," Luke replied softly. In the near three weeks Jess had been there, he had never seen his nephew warm up to someone that quickly.

"So, how about some coffee," Lorelai suggested sitting at the counter. Luke nodded, ripping his eyes away from the two three-year-olds so he could grab the pot. He snatched a mug from under the counter, set it in front of Lorelai, and poured her some coffee.

"Another day off?" Luke questioned as he put the pot back.

"Just stopping by before I have to get to work," Lorelai responded taking a sip of the coffee. A small smile crept across her face as she relished the flavor. "Has anyone told you, you make the best coffee? I mean, the inn's coffee is good, sure, but I could bathe in this stuff; steaming hot and everything." She took another sip. "What do you use?"

"Coffee," Luke replied once he was sure she wasn't going to say anything else. Lorelai chuckled, shook her head, and continued to drink her coffee.

"So, are you still married to Jess' mom?" Chatty Lorelai asked after a few seconds of silence. She glanced back over at the two kids, Luke following her gaze. Rory offered Jess the crayons, but when he took the box, instead of taking a crayon, he upending them onto the table. It was exactly what Luke did at Maisy's and Buddy's.

"He's my nephew," Luke informed her softly, turning to get his order book as two customers walked in. He didn't want to talk about Liz with Chatty Lorelai. He didn't even want to talk about his sister with people he knew. Why would he suddenly open up to a virtual stranger?

"Does your sister live with you?" But it seemed Lorelai _wanted_ to talk about it.

"I have a lot of work to do," he said and moved towards the customer's table.

"Oh yes, this place is really busy," she replied with a smile on her face looking at the two tables with people sitting at them. He knew she was joking, but a small part of him couldn't help feeling a little angry at her comment. This place might not be the busiest place in Stars Hallow, but it was his damn it. What did she have?

He silently counted to thirty while he took the new arrivals' orders. He moved back behind the counter, handed Caesar the ticket, and turned to see Lorelai staring at him.

"I sense I crossed a line somewhere," she said softly, putting her mug down. "I'm sorry if I did. Like I said…"

"Fast talking, pants, brain," Luke supplied for her and she laughed, nodding her head.

"But if you do, need a friend, to talk. I'll listen. I may not act like it, but I am definitely a good listener."

"Thanks, but I'm fine," he responded giving her a small smile. She returned it and went back to her coffee.

**GG**

Over the next few weeks-while Luke waited for the courthouse to call with his court date-Lorelai slowly became one of his regulars. She didn't always have money, something Luke could sympathize with, but he could always find her, every morning, sitting at his counter before she went to work.

She liked to talk. Something Luke realized the first day he met her, but he had no idea just how much until he really started to get to know her. She talked about her favorite bands ("Don't you wish you could be Susanna Hoffs?"), about the house she wanted to buy when she had the money ("I think I'm going to call it 'The Crapshack.'"), and pretty much anything that came to her mind. Her favorite subjects, however, were her parents.

She never shared anything too personal, but from what Luke gathered Richard and Emily Gilmore (he had learned their names sometime during her long rants) were controlling, snooty, rich people who had wanted Lorelai's life to go one way while she sprinted down a completely different path.

In fact, it seemed the only subject Lorelai was not inclined to share was the identity of Rory's father. Luke wasn't sure if he was dead, or if he was just a deadbeat like Jimmy. Regardless, she didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't push.

He wasn't so forth coming with his life, but he did open up a little about his parents and Liz. He didn't get too personal, either, but from what he told her, he was pretty sure he painted a pretty good picture of his life.

Lorelai had gone from the annoying woman wanting coffee to something close to a friend in almost a month. And Luke was actually glad he met her, especially since she introduced Rory to Jess.

Those two had become almost inseparable in the month since meeting each other. They liked to read (and between Luke reading to him every night and meeting Rory, Jess was quickly picking up the ability to read on his own) and had gone as far as borrowing out each others' books. They liked making up stories together (though Rory seemed to view the world more realistically than Jess making his imagination a tad bigger than hers), and each reacted to strangers the same way: awkward and quiet (though Rory would verbally answer a direct question from someone she knew whereas Jess would either nod or shake his head). Lorelai liked to call them 'two peas in a pod.'

The more Jess hung around Rory, the less stressed he became to the point where he was sleeping in his own bed and having less and less accidents. He was even breaking out of his shell even more, and had said 'hi' to Miss Patty when she greeted him. Luke was actually really proud of his nephew's progress.

As the days in August dwindled and turned into September, Luke realized a very important date was coming up: Jess' fourth birthday. Luke didn't know the first thing about planning a birthday party for a kid and shared this news with Lorelai Saturday night; a week before his nephew's birthday.

"Well, I'm not really good with planning for boys, but I can give it a shot," she replied with a shrug, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug. It had been one of those days where she was tight on cash, but had talked Luke into giving her a free cup of coffee. Or so she thought. Luke was going to give her the cup anyway; he just let her believe she talked him into it.

"You don't have to help," he stated cleaning the counter with his washrag.

"Luke, I am awesome at throwing parties, and I would be happy to help."

Luke thought it over for a minute, having a feeling Lorelai wouldn't give it up until he agreed, and finally relented, "Fine, but nothing girly, and please don't invite the entire town, he doesn't know that many people. And can we have it here. He knows this place…"

"Luke," Lorelai interrupted her, holding her hand up. "I promise it will be a party you won't forget."

A gut feeling told Luke he just signed a deal with the devil.

**GG**

Lorelai showed up around eleven the day of Jess' party, laden with random odds and ends in several bags. She had begged, pleaded, and groveled for him to close _Luke's _early so she could set up. He didn't know what she meant by 'set up,' but after listening to her talk so fast her words blurred together, he did as she wanted.

"This is going to be great," she said as Rory walked past her mother to the table Jess was sitting at, carrying a book about the state capitals.

"Hello, Luke," she said brightly as she sat next to Jess.

"Hi, Rory," the older man greeted smiling at her. He turned back to Lorelai and said, "What's that stuff?"

"It's left over decorations from the inn: some streamers, balloons, and some other random stuff. Oh and a couple games that I made…"

"You made a couple games?"

"And I can sew, too." She beamed at him, and he rolled his eyes.

"Hey you guys," Lorelai called looking at the kids. "You wanna help me set up?"

"Yes," Rory responded and slid from her chair, leaving her book on the table. "Come on, Jess," she called over her shoulder as she walked towards her mother. Jess jumped down from his own chair and followed her, albeit a little reluctantly.

"Yeah, come on, Luke," Lorelai said and her smile widened when Luke glared at her. "Don't be such a fuddy duddy."

"Yeah Luke, don't be a fuddy duddy," Rory repeated as she started digging in one of her mother's bags.

"Can you believe these two?" Luke asked glancing down at his nephew. Jess shrugged as if to say 'when in Rome, Uncle Luke.'

Luke rolled his eyes, but began helping the girls and Jess set up. After a while, it didn't look like his diner anymore, but as if a party store walked in, threw up, and walked out

"Oh, good, just in time for…" Lorelai trailed off as a rapping came from the door. She rushed towards it, letting in a familiar red head. She was carrying a cake in her hands, and nearly tripped over the threshold when she walked inside.

"Whoa Sookie," Lorelai said catching the other woman. When she was steady, Clumsy Sookie carried the cake to the counter and set it down revealing bandaged fingers and a wrapped wrist.

"It's German chocolate and vanilla with butterscotch frosting. I wasn't sure what type of food to make; I haven't really spent a lot of time with kids…"

"I was going to make burgers and fries," Luke interrupted nodding towards the kitchen.

"Good, I'll help," Sookie announced beaming at him.

"No," he responded and walked away from her.

"Are you sure?" Clumsy Sookie called.

"I'm sure," he replied ducking into the grilling area.

"Luke, make sure you make plenty of burgers," Lorelai informed him as he started up the fryers again.

"How many people are coming?" Luke questioned glancing back at the two women.

"Not that many," Lorelai replied innocently.

"How many?"

"Fifteen."

"Lorelai," Luke protested weakly.

"It could have been more. But Miss Patty heard me asking Sookie to make the cake, and she asked if she could come. And, since Jess seems to know her enough to say 'hi' I told her sure. But, then Babette cornered me when I was taking Rory to the park, and asked why she and Maury hadn't been invited. So, I had to invite them. And then Andrew wanted to know why he wasn't invited…" she trailed off, blowing out a breath. "I couldn't say no to them, Luke."

Still shaking his head, Luke looked back at the grill with a sigh. He wanted everything low key so he wouldn't be wasting so much money. Making fifteen burgers, without getting paid, was equivalent to closing his diner.

"We could always order a couple pizzas instead," Sookie suggested shrugging.

"And I could head over to Doose's to get some chips and stuff," Lorelai responded giving Luke a knowing look.

"Really, it's not like…"

"Luke, we insist. Don't worry about having to cook anything. We'll take care of it," Lorelai told him and he reluctantly nodded.

**GG**

Jess hated being the center of attention. Luke could tell his nephew wanted to flee the moment everyone started showing up, but he managed to keep himself from hiding by sticking to Luke or Rory like glue. He did greet the people he recognized, mostly with small smiles and quiet 'hellos.' It was a start, at least.

Halfway through the party, Lorelai breaking out an old box of mixed tapes she made, Luke's phone rang. He grabbed it, moving into the storage room, and answered, "Yeah, _Luke's."_ whoever needed a delivery was going to sorely disappointed.

"_Mr. Danes?"_ a voice questioned and Luke's eyebrows furrowed.

"What can I do for you?" he asked curiously.

"_Mr. Danes, this is Melinda Nelson from the courthouse. Your court date is set for the fifteenth of this month,"_ the voice informed him.

"Uh, thanks." His heart skipped a beat.

"_Be at the courthouse no later than ten o'clock,_" Melinda informed him slowly. "_Have a good day, Mr. Danes." _And she hung up, leaving Luke staring at a shelf full of supplies. The fifteenth; the fifteenth would tell him whether or not he got to keep Jess permanently.

"Hey, Luke, get your ass out there. You're missing the…" Lorelai trailed off, freezing in the doorway. "What?"

"The fifteenth," he informed her looking up.

"The court date?"

He nodded, looking back at the phone. It was the call he had been waiting for, and now he couldn't help being a tad nervous.


	6. Faux Confessions and Court

**This is unbetaed (I haven't heard from my beta in a while, I just hope she's okay) so all mistakes are mine.**

**Thanks for reading, alerting, and reviewing last chapter. You guys are amazing.**

**So, drop a comment if you can. All court stuff was researched, but I have a feeling I messed up on something. And I own nothing.**

**See ya in the next chapter.**

**Bye...**

**P.S. I have never read Oliver Twist, but I did use Sparknotes for the information on it. I know, I need to read more classics... sorry Harry, but it's true :D**

**GG**

The day before he had to go to court, Luke went over everything he needed six times. He had talked to Social Worker Angela and Maisy and Buddy's lawyer-the former had given him a list of what he would need while the latter went over the court proceeding-and he had gathered the required items into a folder and stuck it on his table. Even though he knew he had everything, a part of him felt like he was forgetting something.

"Stop worrying Luke," he muttered to himself. "It'll be okay."

"Luke," he heard a small voice say and looked down to see Jess carrying one of his new books. Lorelai and Rory had given it to him for his birthday. It was a chapter book the older of the two found in the inn's collection of books.

"Oliver Twist, huh?" Luke took the book from Jess, picked the little boy up, and carried him to his bed. He put him back on the floor, waited until his nephew was tucked in, and sat in the small chair next to the bed, maneuvering it so Jess could easily see the words. "Okay, where were we…?"

Luke began reading about 'Artful Dodger' and 'Fagin' while he wondered just who in the hell would name their child 'Fagin.' He was about halfway through chapter ten when Jess nodded off.

Luke marked their spot and placed the book on the small desk he had procured from Miss Patty ('_I insist, dear, it's just collecting dust in my studio'_) and returned to his nephew's side to fuss with his blankets. He planted a kiss on the side of the small boy's head, trying not to think what would happen if he didn't return with him tomorrow.

After checking the paperwork for the seventh time, he got ready for bed. For a while, he just tossed and turned as he tried to staunch the nerves that were attacking him. A few times he drifted off, only to be awoken by dreams where Jess was either been handed off to Jimmy or placed in a home and adopted by more abusive people.

It was after another one of those horrible dreams-sometime around four-when Luke gave up on sleep and decided to take a shower. Once he was clean and dressed for the day, he checked, once again, the paperwork sitting on his table.

He walked towards his kitchenette, and started to make some tea. Instead of using a kettle-he didn't even think he owned a kettle-he filled a pan full of water and set it on the stove, lighting it. While waiting for the water to bowl, he dug into his cupboard for his tea tin. He opened the top, taking out one of the teabags.

When he was younger, his mother would make tea when she was stressed. Luke had picked the same habit up from her. And worrying about whether or not he was going to keep his nephew was enough to warrant tea.

He went through five cups of tea before waking Jess. For a while, as he helped Jess get ready, Luke managed to keep his mind off the hearing. But there was only so much help he could give his nephew. Recently, the smaller boy had decided he wanted to do things on his own and rarely asked Luke for help.

Once they had eaten breakfast and were presentable for court, Luke and Jess descended the stairs and entered the diner. The older man had intended to leave a list of things for Caesar to do while he was gone but couldn't remember where he left his pen.

"Lorelai," Jess said softly pointing at the door getting his uncle's attention. Luke followed his nephew's finger, seeing the young woman waving at him. He crossed the floor, Jess trailing behind him, and unlocked the door to let Lorelai inside.

"There's no coffee," Luke informed her.

"Not here for coffee," she replied holding up her own coffee cup.

"Then why are you…?" he trailed off when he realized she was wearing nicer clothes than he normally saw her in. It wasn't that she didn't dress nice, she always did, but usually Luke saw her in jeans and t-shirts.

"I'm coming with you guys," Lorelai confirmed what Luke had already figured out.

"No," he said shaking his head.

"Luke, you need moral support, and I want to give it. Besides, I'm not taking no for an answer. I took the morning off, Rory is with Mia, and I'm going. That's final."

**GG**

Jess sat between Lorelai and Luke, watching the scenery above him through the giant glass. He remembered Luke calling it a 'windshield' and could kinda see what he meant. The glass stopped wind from getting into the truck. Of course, it also kept out bugs and birds. Why didn't they call it a wind, bug, and bird shield?

He opened his mouth to ask, but thought better of it. He wasn't one-hundred percent sure what was going on, but he heard Luke telling Lorelai about court. Jess didn't know what 'court' was, but his uncle Luke didn't seem very happy about it.

Jess really wished Rory could be there, too. He would feel better, but Lorelai was a great replacement. She was fun, more like a kid herself than a mommy. And since Jess' mommy wasn't around anymore, he'd rather have Lorelai with him and Luke. She was nice and he liked her.

"Hey, Jess, do you want to play a game?" Lorelai asked and he looked up, nodding. "Okay. What's your favorite color?" Oh, colors, he knew colors. Rory had given him a book about colors and he liked to use color crayons to draw.

"Green," he replied quietly.

Lorelai smiled. "Mine, too. Though, I don't mind pink either, but green is an awesome color. And I look really good in it." Funny Lorelai, she always talked so fast. Luke said she was like the pink bunny from the battery commercial.

"Okay, here's the game," she continued and pointing at a car. "Every time you see a green car, you count it. Okay?" He wasn't too good with numbers, yet. Luke had tried teaching him a few times, and he could count to eleven, but he knew there were more numbers than that. Though, he _really _wanted to learn the others.

"It's okay," Lorelai said softly, winking at him, "I'll help you count."

"Thank you," he replied smiling at her.

"So, Luke, do you want to play?" Lorelai asked looking at Jess' uncle.

"I'm watching the road," Luke responded keeping his eyes on the wind/bug/bird shield. This was normal for Jess. Lorelai would ask his uncle to do something, and the older man would tell her 'no.' Usually, she kept poking at him, but today it seemed Lorelai was going to leave him alone.

"Fine, it'll just be more fun for Jess and me."

They spent the remainder of the car ride looking for green cars. Jess wondered if there was more to the game, but he was having too much fun to ask. They were up to sixteen cars (Jess was so excited he had counted that high) by the time they arrived at this 'court' place.

"We're a little early," Luke informed them checking his watch.

"I think they want you to be early," Lorelai replied as they got out of the truck. Lorelai helped Jess down and set him on the sidewalk. As they crossed the street to the building, she took his hand and walked with him. She didn't let it go even when they were inside the building. Jess didn't mind as much as he thought he would.

They walked down the hall, and Jess spotted Angela sitting in a chair. He remembered her from the day he went to live with Luke, and she was very nice to him. She had even given him one of his favorite books: _The Cat in the Hat_. Before she did that, the last person to give him books was his old neighbor. Now, it seemed everyone gave him books, and he loved them for it.

"Hello, Luke," Angela greeted Jess' uncle as she got to her feet. She shook hands with him and Lorelai, who introduced herself, and then crouched down to Jess' height. "How are you?" she asked with a smile.

"Fine," Jess replied softly almost running behind Luke's legs. He managed to stop himself when he remembered how Rory would look people in their eyes and brightly say, _"Hi."_

"That's great," Angela responded and stood back up, turning back to Luke. "Okay, so the court managed to track his father down."

"Okay," Luke said nodding. Jess wondered why he looked a little scared.

"Don't worry," Angela assured the older man, sounding a tad angry. "It seems he was out of it, and readily gave up his parental rights."

"I'm not surprised," Jess' uncle muttered but look less scared.

"Okay, we just need to show the judge the paperwork and go over everything you and the lawyer discussed on the phone, and get the judge's ruling. I'm sure he will rule in your favor, and Jess will be yours for good. From there you can think about adoption."

Luke nodded, looking down at Jess. The little boy didn't understand what exactly was going on, but from what he gathered it seemed this mean judge might want to take Jess from Luke. The little boy did not want that at all. He liked living with Luke; he liked seeing Rory, Lorelai, Caesar, and the entire town every day, and they couldn't take him away.

He felt his eyes stinging and tried to brush away the tears before they started to fall. Lorelai was the first to recognize him and softly said, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I d-don't w-wanna leave," Jess hiccupped and Luke gathered him in his arms.

"You're not going anywhere. I promise," his uncle informed him and gave him a hug. He sniffed and nodded, burying his face in his uncle's neck. If Luke said he wasn't going anywhere then he wasn't going anywhere.

**GG**

Luke couldn't believe his nephew thought he was leaving. He had been very careful not to discuss the hearing in front of Jess, but he guessed sometimes the little boy did pick up on conversations. He was a little too perceptive for a three year old.

After Jess calmed down, Luke was called into the courtroom. Lorelai was allowed inside, as long as she stayed quiet and sat in the back. She took Jess from Luke, doing as she was told, and he gave her one final look before following the bailiff and Angela to the front of the room.

The judge was an older woman, with graying blond hair and piercing eyes. She waited until Luke was in hearing range before saying, "Guardianship hearing?"

"Yes, ma'am," Luke responded nodding.

"Let's begin."

First, Social Worker Angela spoke on Luke's behalf. She showed the judge the paperwork on the inspection of Luke's place, the background check they did, and the letter's Maisy and Buddy had written for him. She talked for a quarter of an hour before the judge dismissed her. Then, the older woman turned to Luke.

"Do you have the required paperwork?"

He nodded again and handed his folder to the bailiff and he carried it to the judge. She placed a pair of reading glasses on her face, flipping through all the paperwork sitting in front of her. She seemed to read through everything several times, nodded a few times, and then looked up at Luke.

"It says here that you own a diner," she commented looking over her glasses.

"I do," Luke confirmed nodding again. He really wished he'd stop nodding, it made him look stupid.

"And it's only been open two years?"

"This November, yes," he replied fighting the urge to nod.

"Are you sure this business can support yourself and a child? Most businesses do not pick up revenue until they are well into their second year or the beginning of their third."

"I, uh, I have a little money saved up from when my dad died. It should hold us over until the diner hits its stride."

"'Should' doesn't always pan out, Mr. Danes. I need to know that you are financially secure if I am going to allow you to continue raising this little boy." She looked down at the paperwork again. "It says here you are not married. Usually, a two person household…"

"Yet," a voice called out and everyone turned, as one, to look Lorelai's way. Carrying Jess, she walked towards Luke. He gave her a questioning look; she ignored him, and stopped short of the little door separating the defendant/prosecution area from the viewing seats.

"Excuse me?" the judge question, raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry, Lorelai Gilmore here; it's just Luke always seems to forget to tell people. I mean, I don't really blame him, it only happened two nights ago." Great, Lorelai was babbling, that helped matters… not.

"Ma'am, please get to the point," the judge responded impatiently.

"Luke and I are getting married," Lorelai replied after a deep breath. Luke was too much in shock to deny her words. She just said… And he just heard her say… What? "Yes, he surprised me a few days ago. I mean, we've only been serious a few months, and I wasn't even sure he was the marrying type (he's kind of a hermit), but when he asked me I just couldn't say no.

"And since I just got promoted at the inn I work at, I work behind the desk now, and have gotten a pretty good pay raise. Luke and I can provide a very loving home for Jess. Plus, my daughter just loves him. They are inseparable." Lorelai sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly. "Ma'am, you can't take Jess away from Luke. He's too important to him, too important to my daughter and me. Plus, Luke has been the best thing to happen to this kid." She gestured to Jess before looking back at the judge, whose eyebrows were furrowed. "And I should probably sit down now."

Lorelai ignored the looks Luke still threw her as she carried Jess back to their seats. Luke waited until they were sitting down before turning back to the judge.

"I'm sorry for…"

"Mr. Danes, let me speak," the judge interrupted and he nodded. She was quiet for several minutes, looking back down at the paperwork.

Luke's stomach felt as if it had been kicked repeatedly and he wanted nothing more than to seize the woman, shake her, and shout '_Tell me, can I keep him_!' But that would probably lose him Jess. So, he stayed completely still, still reeling from Lorelai's confession. They were not getting married; they barely knew each other long enough to get married.

The judge looked up, getting Luke's attention, and she said, "I hereby grant you, Mr. Lucas Danes, full custody of minor Jess Mariano." She picked up her gavel, banged it on the wooden surface of her stand, and got to her feet. "You may go, Mr. Danes."

Luke didn't move, he couldn't move. Had he just won? Had the judge ruled in his favor? He wasn't sure if it was Lorelai's speech, Lorelai's faux confession, or the pure fact that she couldn't bear to see another kid get thrown in the system, but the judge have given him Jess. He fought the urge to hug her, but was saved the humiliation when Angela gave him her own hug.

"Congratulations, Mr. Danes."

"Yeah, Luke, congratulations," he heard Lorelai say and was bombarded by another hug when Angela let go.

"Married?" he whispered in Lorelai's ear.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?"

He held her at arm's length, noticing the smile on her face, and muttered, "You are a very strange woman, Lorelai Gilmore."

"I like to think of myself as mysterious," she replied grinning. He gave her a small glare and she shrugged and said, "Hey, that's what friends are for.

"Yeah, that's what friend are for," Luke muttered and from that day forward, Lorelai Gilmore became his best friend.


	7. 12 Years Later

**Hi, okay this skips ahead a few years... okay a lot of years. As much as I love writing for little Jess, I was getting a little bored with Luke's POV. And I wasn't sure if I could get inside Lorelai's mind. You know? She's like a ball of energy that goes in seventeen different directions and even my erratic mind can't keep up with her.**

**But I may do flashbacks later on, just to bring back little Jess.**

**So, yeah, that's why I skipped ahead.**

**And I used a lot of lines from the pilot, none of which are mine. They will never be mine, please don't sue me because that are not mine. And neither are these characters for that matter.**

**Thanks for reading, drop a comment if you'd like, and thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favoriting last chapter.**

**Bye**

**GG**

"Jess get down here!" Luke called up the steps before returning to Jackson. The younger guy had been sitting at the counter, pouring over the menu for almost fifteen minutes. Luke was six seconds away from ordering for him.

"How good are your scrambled eggs?" Jackson asked curiously.

"Fantastic," Luke replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Best scrambled eggs in town."

"You really shouldn't say that, Luke," Jackson commented slowly, completely missing Luke's tone. "They may be the best to you, but anywhere else could make…"

"Jackson." The vegetable guy looked up; noticing the sharp look Luke threw him.

"Fine, I'll have the scrambled eggs," he said and Luke nodded, writing the order down. As he walked towards the kitchen he yelled up the stairs again, "Jess, get a move on!"

As he was dropping Jackson's order off with Caesar, he noticed Lorelai walk in carrying a mug. He shook his head slowly as she approached the counter, her puppy dog eyes locking on his. "Please Luke. Please, please, please."

"How many have you had?" he asked slowly, giving her a curious look. Knowing her, this was probably her tenth cup. He really should look into getting her an I.V. just for coffee.

"None." That was a lie right there, Luke could tell.

"Plus…"

"Five" -yeah, that was more like it- "but yours is better."

"You have a problem," Luke said getting the coffee pot.

"Yes, I do," Lorelai agreed as he filled her cup.

"Junkie," Luke commented shaking his head.

"Angel. You've got wings baby," Lorelai replied smiling. Luke wanted to comment, but the phone rang. As Lorelai wandered back to her table, he walked towards it to pick it up.

"Luke's," he answered handing Jackson's ticket to Caesar. While he watched some guy flirt with Lorelai-and failing miserably-he listened to Gypsy make an order to go. As he wrote it down, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs and soon Jess emerged.

He was cramming his math book into his bag, a pencil hanging out of his mouth. He looked as if he just rolled out of bed, and he most likely did. Jess was not a morning person, not picking up on Luke's 'early to rise' example. In fact, he hadn't been a morning person since the age of seven.

"You hungry?" Luke asked curiously as he hung up the phone. His nephew nodded, spitting his pencil into his bag. He zipped it up before putting it on the floor. "Re-fill coffee while I get you something to eat."

"Okay," Jess replied grabbing the coffee pot.

As Luke walked towards the kitchen, he noticed Lorelai approaching the counter, again, with her coffee cup.

"What?" she asked innocently. "It's not for me. It's for Rory. I swear." Jess smiled as he filled Lorelai's cup.

"You're shameless," Luke commented handing Caser Gypsy's ticket and grabbing Jackson's plate. He placed it in front of the vegetable man before returning to the kitchen and grabbing two slices of bread. He knew Jess didn't have time to wait for a big breakfast so toast would have to do.

"You know if you didn't read so late you'd actually get up earlier," Luke mumbled as he walked past his nephew while going to take Babette's order.

"Come on, Luke, it's Kerouac," he shot back, filling Andrew's cup.

"You've read _On the Road_ six times, Jess," Luke responded as they went back behind the counter.

"It just gets better every time," Jess deadpanned as the toast popped up. He grabbed it, snatched his bag off the floor, and raced out the door. "Bye Luke," he called over his shoulder. Luke watched as Rory stood up, kissed his mother good-bye, and hurried after Jess.

As Luke collected a dirty plate from the counter, he noticed Lorelai wandering towards him with her coffee cup. He rolled his eyes, but grabbed the pot from the machine, where Jess had left it. He had a feeling she'd have one more before going to work.

**GG**

Jess and Rory caught up to Lane on their way to school. Lane was putting a _Woodstock_ t-shirt on over her religious shirt, and waved when she had her hands free.

Jess remembered the first day he met Lane. It had been his first day of Kindergarten. He had been reading in the corner, avoiding everyone, when Rory walked up and said '_Jess, this is Lane. Do you want to be her friend? We can be friends together.'_ And, since Rory was asking, and back then he did almost everything Rory did, Jess agreed. They had been friends since.

"When are you going to let your parents know you listen to evil rock music?" Rory asked curiously.

"Yeah, you're an American teen for God's sake," Jess replied.

"Guys, if my parents still get upset over the obscene portion size of American food, I seriously doubt I'm gonna make any inroads with Eminem."

"You listen to Eminem?" Jess questioned and Lane threw him a look. He grinned and they continued walking towards the school.

"I have to go to that," Lane suddenly announced pointing at a flyer for the annual 'Teen Hayride.'

"The hayride? You're kidding," Rory replied, glancing at the sign, her look and tone telling Jess she found the thing to be a waste of time. He had already heard Luke's reasons as to why the hayride was a waste of time, but he wondered what Rory's were.

"My parents set me up with the son of a business associate." Another Kim set up. Jess wondered how many that had been in the past year; nine, maybe ten. "He's gonna be a doctor."

"How old is he?" Rory questioned raising her eyebrows.

"Sixteen," Lane replied.

"So, he's gonna be a doctor in a hundred years," Jess commented and Lane shrugged.

"Well, my parents like to plan ahead," she informed them as they walked across the school's yard towards the stairs.

"God, and you have to go to the hayride with him?" it was the same reaction Rory had every time Lane told them about another 'date'; that 'I could never imagine my parents setting me up like that' reaction. Though, Jess couldn't picture Lorelai ever forcing Rory to date anyone she didn't want to.

"And his older brother," Lane continued and Jess wasn't surprised. Lane's parents always wanted their daughter's 'dates' chaperoned. Though, why they were letting a couple of teenagers get chaperoned by another teenager was beyond Jess.

"Oh, now you're kidding," Rory said looking a little shocked, but not really surprised.

"Koreans never joke about future doctors," Lane deadpanned shaking her head. She suddenly looked at them, desperation in her eyes, and said, "So, I guess you two aren't going, huh?"

"No, I'm still fuzzy on what's fun about sitting in the cold for two hours with a bundle of sticks up your butt," Rory replied seriously.

"Don't expect me to clear it up for you," Lane joked and the small group laughed. The two girls then turned to Jess.

"And I just don't want to go," Jess mumbled softly.

"Luke prejudice?" Lane asked and before Jess could respond both girls nodded and said, "Luke prejudice."

"I make my own decisions," he argued as they walked into the school. Jess spotted a tall, gawky looking guy watching them. Or more like, watching Rory. He was the 'pretty boy' type, but probably thought he was a 'bad ass' in his leather jacket while he leaned against the school. _What a douche bag_, Jess thought shaking his head.

"Jess, you rarely go to the town meetings because Luke doesn't go," Rory pointed out calmly.

"You gave us a fifteen minute rant about the re-enactors that sounded vaguely like Luke's," Lane replied nodding.

"And you've called this town crazy on more than one occasion," Rory finished and smiled when he glared at them.

"Well, sometimes Luke has a point," he responded as he headed towards his locker.

"I'm sure he does," Rory replied nodding, giving him a half smile.

"Don't you have class?" Jess asked as the bell rang.

"See you later, mini Luke," she joked and she and Lane walked away from him.

"That's not funny," he called back. Lorelai had been the first to call him that, when he was six, and the nickname had caught on faster than he would have liked it to. But back then it was okay, he had hero-worshipped his uncle Luke. Now, it was a tad annoying.

"Oh, Jess, there you are." The boy in question turned to see Principal Merton walking towards him, the tall gawky kid following him. "This is Dean Forrester, he just moved here from Chicago." The taller boy smiled and waved.

"Hi," Jess said softly and turned back to the principal.

"We're having computer problems today and can't seem to access his schedule. Do you think he could shadow you today. I know he probably isn't taking all of your electives, but he can at least get the books for the few he did take."

"Um, okay," Jess replied nodding. What else could he do, flat out refuse the principal? He may act like Luke on occasion, but he wasn't going to say no to someone asking for a favor. Except, this type of favor wasn't going to be returned.

"Thanks," Merton responded and walked away.

The next few minutes were awkward. Jess busied himself with his locker, getting the books he would need for his morning classes, while Dean stood behind him rocking back and forth on his the balls of his feet.

Jess shut his locker door, turned, and started towards his first class. Dean easily kept pace with him, most likely because of his spindly legs. "So, where are we going?" he asked curiously.

"English," Jess replied maneuvering around the last minute stragglers.

"I'm okay in English," Dean commented. "I mean, I never really got all the Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Shakespeare stuff. The guy lived hundreds of years ago, his English is old. You know?"

"I haven't read much Shakespeare either," Jess said walking into Mrs. Traister's classroom. They were reading _Huckleberry Finn._ Even though he had already read it several times, and had long winded discussions with Rory about the book, he didn't mind reading it again.

"Oh, Twain. I've read him before," Dean stated as he read the board. "Or was that Hemingway?" Jess wasn't sure whether he wanted to punch the tall, gawky kid or lead him to remedial English.

"Just pick a seat," he opted to say and started towards the back of the room. This was one of two classes he could actually get some reading down without getting into too much trouble. It was math and science he had to pay attention in.

"I did see the movie _Huck Finn_," Gawky Dean continued following Jess. He sat next to him, dropping his bag on the floor. "With Mickey Rooney."

"That's nice," Jess responded with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He dug around in his bag, pulling out _Huck Finn_ and _On the Road._

"Kerouac, huh? I haven't read him. Is he any good?"

Before Jess could respond, Traister walked into the room. She started speaking the moment the door closed, and Dean leaned in and whispered, "She looks like that woman who hit on my dad yesterday."

"What woman?" Jess asked before he could stop himself. He had a feeling he knew who Dean was talking about, but he wasn't one-hundred percent sure.

"I think she said her name was Carrie."

"Ah, yeah, that's Crazy Carrie. She's always bothering Luke in his diner." And now that Jess really looked at Traister, she did kind of resemble Crazy Carrie. "I bet she loves being compared to a sex-crazed…"

"Are you two finished?" Traister's voice snapped from across the room and Jess realized the entire classroom was staring at him and Dean. Buried fears from his childhood crept up on Jess, making his face burn red.

"Jess was just telling me how amazing this class is," Dean said getting to his feet. "I'm new."

"Mr…" Traister walked towards her desk, glancing down at her class list. "Mr. Forrester, right?" Dean nodded. "It says here I don't have you until fifth period."

"The office is having computer trouble. I'm just shadowing Jess today." Dean and Traister glanced at Jess and he nodded.

"Well, Mr. Forrester," Traister started, looking back at Dean. "Welcome to Stars Hallow High."

"Thank you, ma'am," Dean responded sitting back down. As Traister went to get Dean a text book and a copy of _Huck_ _Finn, _the taller boy turned to Jess and smiled. They weren't going to magically become friends, Jess knew this, but he was a little less annoyed with Dean Forrester.

**GG**

**The Jess/Dean friendship/acquaintanceship will not last very long, but I always thought they could have at least been... more friendly towards each other if they had been given the chance. But like I said, their friendship will not last. So, please bear with it for a while.**

**Fun Fact: For those who do not know (and I'm sure you all know so this is completely pointless) the actress who played Rory's English teacher in the first episode (Traister) was also the actress who played Crazy Carrie. Again, most likely pointless, but I thought that was interesting.**


	8. Socializing with Dean and Chilton News

**A huge thanks to my beta BrokenDaisy.**

**OK, since I skipped a head a few years last time (and probably pissed off a lot of people. I APOLOGIZE! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! ;)) I decided to start and end each chapter with a memory from Jess' childhood (I may also slip in some memories halfway through the chapters if they come to me). My only excuse for skipping ahead is a short attention span. I am surprised I stick to things as long as I do :D (And don't worry, as long as you keep showing an interest in this story, I'll keep writing chapters)**

**Anyway, thanks for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting last chapter. You guys are amazing.**

**So, drop a comment if you want, thanks for reading, and I own nothing.**

**PEACE OUT**

**P.S. How do you spell Ceasar's name? Is it Cesar, Caesar? or Ceasar? I'm just curious. Thanks!**

**Gilmore Girls**

**1990…**

Jess had been in school for over a month when Luke got a phone call from his teacher. She had asked if he could possibly see her sometime in the near future. Luke agreed to see her after school that day, since he had to pick Jess up anyway. She agreed and, after exchanging good-byes, Luke spent the entire day afraid his nephew had done something wrong. He would be surprised if Jess did, but every kid was entitled to their 'off' days.

He left Cesar in charge around eleven, walking the six blocks to the grade school. The whole way he was becoming increasingly more worried about Jess. Maybe his nephew had a set back or something and forgot his numbers or how to read or his colors. Maybe his alphabet, but Luke couldn't see how. Jess knew his alphabet, and thanks to Rory could almost say it backwards. Something else had to be up.

Luke finally made it to the school, hoping he didn't run into Lorelai. If he did, she'd get to talking, and he'd never find out what Jess' teacher wanted; lucky for him, he hadn't run into the dark haired woman and soon found himself standing in the kindergarten classroom.

He spotted Jess sitting at his desk, pouring over a book, while the other kids played while they waited for their parents. Jess' teacher, Miss Zane, was putting away paint supplies but looked towards the door at his arrival.

"Hey, Mr. Danes," she said with a smile, walking towards him. "Let's talk in my office. Carrie," she called to her aid, who had been trying putting away nap mats, "watch the kids for a moment." The younger woman nodded before returning to her task.

Zane led him into her tiny office, gesturing to a bear shaped chair before moving around her desk to sit in her own chair.

"Okay, so, I'm sure you are wondering why I asked you to see me," she started shuffling some papers on the surface of her desk.

"Yeah," Luke responded nodding.

"Jess is fine," she said hurriedly, no doubt detecting the worry in his voice. "He's excelling in his academics and he reads more than most kids; with the exception of Miss Gilmore, of course." Luke smiled at that one. No one read as much as Rory. "But it's his social skills that I am worried about."

"Why's that?" Luke questioned furrowing his eyebrows, frowning.

"During playtime, he'll hover around Rory Gilmore and Lane Kim for a few minutes before returning to his desk to read. During group time he doesn't interact with the other kids, instead doing the work himself. I'm worried he's not excelling socially as he is academically."

Luke was silent for a few seconds, but finally he took a breath and said, very slowly, "Did it ever occur to you, that maybe it just takes him a while to warm up to new people?"

"Yes, but it's been a month, Mr. Danes. He talks to Miss Gilmore because he knows her, and he'll interact with Lane if Rory is with them, but it's just…" she trailed off with a sigh. "Jess is a good kid and so smart. I don't want to see him close himself off from others."

Luke ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to yell at the woman. He knew she was just doing her job, but she was acting like having a lot of friends was more important than anything else. It was like she wanted the kids to ignore their hobbies (though for most five and six-year-olds hobbies weren't exactly deeply intellectual), and play around germ ridden children who would just steal each others' toys. Yeah, Luke wanted his nephew to be exposed to that; his dream to worry about the flu turning into something worse.

He shook his head, needing to get out of his mind. It was a testament to just how much he hung around Lorelai, the spout of crazy that he had just conjured.

"Look, Mr. Danes," Zane said quickly, obviously sensing she had struck a nerve. "I am sure Jess will grow out of it. I am just bringing this to your attention now. Okay?" he nodded. "Okay, thanks for stopping by," she continued, holding her hand out for Luke to shake. He accepted her hand before getting to his feet and walking out of the office.

He spotted two boys in a scuffle over a Tonka truck and a little girl standing by the building blocks, coughing all over them. Oh yeah, Jess should totally hang around kids like those; it would be Luke's dream.

"Let's get out of here, buddy," he said as he stopped next to Jess' side.

**Gilmore Girls**

As they walked home, and Luke was able to calm down, he actually gave Zane's worries some thought. Jess took after Luke, no doubt about that, but there was more to it. He was put through some major crap during his first three years, but was slowly starting to get better in the last two he had been living with Luke. And despite Luke's long, drawn out mental rants, he didn't want Jess to avoid the other kids. With luck, he would grow out of it, just like Zane said. It would just take time.

"Can I have chocolate milk?" Jess asked softly when they finally made it back to the diner.

"Yeah, you can have some chocolate milk," Luke responded nodding. He watched as Jess walked across the diner's floor, sitting at an empty table, smiling at Andrew when he greeted him. Yeah, it was just going to take some time.

**GG**

**Present Day…**

The lunch rush was just dying down when Jess walked into the diner. Luke was glad his nephew was home to help; he had a lot of dishes to get done. Of course, what he wasn't expecting was the tall kid to be following Jess.

"Hey, can you clear some tables?" Luke asked and his nephew nodded. As the taller kid moved to sit at a table, Jess walked behind the counter and dropped his bag off on the floor, against the wall. "Who's that?" Luke asked nodding towards the tall boy. He wondered if the kid was actually a new friend of Jess' or just a customer.

"His name's Dean," Jess responded grabbing a plastic dish tub from under the counter. "He's new."

"And you two are going to…?"

"I thought he could help out for a while and then we were going to hang out." The dark haired boy shrugged before moving back to the main portion of the diner, collecting dirty dishes from empty tables.

Luke studied his nephew for a while. With the exception of Rory and Lane, he had never brought another kid home. Jess wasn't a very social person. Though, he did interact with the other kids when he had to, but usually he waited until they approached him. Today, with this Dean kid, was a big step for Jess, and it only took sixteen years.

"Hey, don't worry about that," Luke said moving towards his nephew. "Go. Hang out with your friend. You can help me late with the dinner rush."

"Are you sure?" Jess didn't look comfortable leaving Luke alone to fend for himself.

"I'm sure."

"Okay," the younger guy responded slowly, furrowing his eyebrows. "I'll be back before four."

"Okay," Luke replied with a smile. Jess nodded, shooting Luke suspicious looks, before abandoning the dish tub and walking back towards Dean. He said something, Dean nodded, and the two boys left the diner.

They were barely gone ten minutes before Lorelai came into the diner. She had a huge grin on her face and sat down at the counter. Luke, who had been doing some of the dishes with Cesar's help, left the younger guy to the job as he approached Lorelai.

"You're happy," he commented and she nodded.

"I have a reason to be," she replied as her grinned widened.

"I'm afraid to ask."

"I'm not that happy," she retorted and Luke snorted. "The reason I am happy," she started and hammered her hands on the counter in a makeshift drum roll. "Rory got into Chilton!"

"You mean that private school?" Luke questioned frowning slightly. He couldn't remember when she applied for the school, but he knew it was a while ago. He figured rich people places took a while to respond. "Have you told Rory, yet?"

"Yes, she seemed pretty excited about it. And now she can go to Harvard and I can resent her…" Lorelai trailed off, her smile wilting. "And you're obviously not excited about this."

"I am. Good for her," Luke said quickly, giving the dark haired woman a smile. "I guess this is as good a time as any for Jess to make a new friend."

"Jess? Jess Mariano? The youngest recluse in this entire town? Mini Luke?"

"He's not _that_ reclusive," Luke defended his nephew. "I mean, he doesn't socialize a lot, but he does talk to people."

"I know, but I'm just saying, since he started school the only two real friends he's had were Rory and Lane…" And that's when it hit Lorelai, why Luke didn't take the news well. "Oh, I forgot about Jess," she said lightly smacking her forehead with her palm. "He's going to miss Rory."

"He's got Lane," Luke said, but he knew Lorelai was right.

"He's only friends with Lane through Rory," Lorelai pointed out. Again, she had a point. "But, hey, you said he met a new friend. What's he like?"

"Tall, brown hair," Luke supplied shrugging.

"That's it?"

"I saw him for two minutes."

"I am so glad Jess isn't a girl," Lorelai commented shaking her head.

"Shut up," Luke retorted turning to put freshly washed mugs away.

The two fell silent. Luke continued to put dishes away while Lorelai took an envelope from her purse. She opened it, taking out the paper inside. She let her eyes scan the words, a smile on her face. A smile, that seemed to wilt the further she got down the letter.

"Crap," she whispered.

"What?" Luke questioned giving her a worried look.

"I-I have to go," Lorelai said getting to her feet. She absentmindedly waved, still looking at the letter. Luke wondered just what she had read, and hoped it wasn't anything he had to worry about.

**GG**

"Is your dad always that way?" Dean asked as he and Jess walked around the block.

"What way?" the shorter boy asked, wondering if his friendship with Dean was going to end before it even started.

"Awkward?"

"Oh," Jess replied shrugging. "Sometimes. I think he's still trying to get the hang of raising a teenager."

Dean smiled, getting a better grip on his backpack. "My parents are the same way. Except I'm the middle child, so they kind of have a reference point; though they raised my older sister, so I guess I'm new territory since I'm the only boy" Dean let his words die on his lips, obviously sensing he shared a little too much. "So," he said suddenly, "where's your mom?"

"Um, my mother died when I was little and I never really knew my father." Jess was uncomfortable talking about his past and really wished Dean would let it go.

"So, that wasn't your dad?"

"Luke? No. Well, he's more like my dad then…" Jess trailed off awkwardly. "He's my uncle," he mumbled cramming his hands in his coat pockets.

"He seems cool," Dean hurriedly said, finally sensing Jess needed a subject change.

"He's not, really," the shorter boy assured the brunette, giving him a small smile. "He finds half the town functions a waste of time, he's always arguing with Taylor Doose, and he likes to go camping a lot in the summer."

"Taylor Doose?"

"He owns the market," Jess responded pointing at the grocery store across from Luke's diner. "He likes to complain to my uncle about not having any decorations up or not participating in 'town things', and if my uncle does something Taylor doesn't like…" Jess spotted Taylor standing at the counter in Luke's place, the younger guy inches from his face talking to him. "Kind of like now."

The two boys rushed back to Luke's, just in time to hear the end of the argument, "…and if I see one of your flyers up I will rip it down, tear it up, carry every piece over to your store, and throw them in your face."

"You could have just said 'no,'" Taylor huffed.

"I did say no. Several times," Luke replied in an impatient tone.

"Fine, Luke, but one day you'll have to face it. You live in this town, too," the older man said as he walked out the door.

"Yeah, well it needs normal people," Luke yelled after the older man's retreating back.

"Is he still trying to hang one of those Hayride flyers up?" Jess asked curiously and his uncle nodded. "When will he learn?"

"Never," Luke replied shaking his head. He finally noticed Dean, still hovering around Jess.

"This is Dean," Jess said hurriedly, gesturing to the taller kid, figuring he should have done that a lot sooner.

"Luke," his uncle responded nodding his head. Dean nodded back, obviously still a little floored from the argument he just witnessed.

"I should head home," he said and Jess nodded. "See you in school tomorrow."

"Bye."

Once Dean was gone, Jess headed towards the counter to get his order book. The dinner rush was in half an hour and he knew Luke was going to need his help; especially when both he and Cesar began working the grill.

They worked in silence, Jess having a feeling his uncle was keeping something from him. He didn't know why, he hardly spent any time around the older man during the rush, but a sixth sense told him Luke knew something he didn't.

After the diner was closed, and Cesar had gone home, uncle and nephew started cleaning up. While doing the dishes, Jess peeked over his shoulder at his uncle, and asked, "Did something happen?"

"What? With Taylor?" Luke questioned half listening. He was going over the books.

"No, I mean…" Jess trailed off, rinsing the last glass. He dried it and placed it with the other drying dishes. "I get the feeling you know something I don't."

Luke looked up, something flickering across his face, but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. He shrugged and said, "Are you sure?"

"Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Luke sucked in a breath, slowly let it out, and said, "Remember when Rory applied to that school a few months ago?"

"Chilton or whatever it was called?" Jess' stomach sank. He knew exactly where this was going. "She got in, didn't she?" he asked and Luke nodded after a brief hesitation. It was quiet for a few seconds, Jess thinking over the news, before he sighed and said, "Good for her."

He then ducked back into the kitchen, collecting an arm full of clean dishes, and began putting them away.

"That's it?" his uncle asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," the younger guy responded with a shrug, placing a few mugs under the counter. "I mean, it's what she's always wanted. And now she can go to Harvard."

"But you're going to miss her, right?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like she's moving away. She's only going to Hartford."

"But you two have been inseparable since you were three."

Jess was quiet for a few minutes, moving back into the kitchen to collect more clean dishes. Luke had a point, they had been friends a long time, but sometimes separation was good for the soul. And, like he said, he'd be able to see Rory after school and on the weekends. She wasn't moving away. "I'll be fine," he finally said after his second load of dishes were put away. "Besides, I have Lane."

"And Dean," Luke supplied.

"Yeah, him too, I guess."

"He seems like a decent kid."

"I wouldn't know. I just met him today."

Luke continued speaking, but Jess tuned him out. He flashed back to earlier that day, when he, Rory, and Lane were entering the school. Dean had been watching Rory, making Jess wonder if the taller kid was just trying to be his friend to get the scoop on Rory Gilmore.

_Well, Deano, she's changing schools. Good luck with your crusade,_ Jess thought finishing off the rest of the dishes. "I've got homework," he said before scooping his bag up off the floor and rushing up the steps.

Once in the confines of the apartment, instead of opening his math book, Jess just sat on the couch and stared at the blank television screen. He knew Rory was just trying to better her education; knew that her dream had been to go to Harvard. She used to talk about it when they were younger, too young to even be thinking about college. And Chilton wasn't far, hardly an hour away. She'd be back after school; he'd see her just as much as he used to (save for school hours).

Deep down, he knew all this, but it still hurt nonetheless. It felt as if she were abandoning him or something, but he knew she wasn't; he was just being stupid.

With a sigh, he pushed himself to his feet and sat at the kitchen table, taking his math book from his bag. It was better to do algebra than to think about Rory leaving. Anything was better than thinking about that.

**GG**

**1990…**

"Hey Jess, do you wanna eat snacks together?" Rory asked appearing at his side. The little boy looked up from his book into her bright, blue eyes. He had tried to find a crayon to match them, but he hadn't been successful yet.

"Sure," he said with a smile. She smiled back and she and Lane sat across from him, just as their teacher began handing out their snacks.

"Are you and Luke reading _Oliver Twist_ again?" Rory asked as the three kids began eating their graham crackers and milk.

"We're reading _Treasure Island_ now," he responded around a mouthful of cracker.

"I wish my mom would let me read books like that," Lane commented glumly. "All we read is the boring Bible."

"Hey," Rory said brightly, her blue eyes widening. "When we get older we should open a bookstore."

"And music store?" Lane asked curiously.

"And music store and we won't sell anything but good books and music. I mean, with my Harvard degree that should be easy, right?"

"I like that idea," Lane commented with a huge smile on her face. Two of her teeth were missing, but Jess could see them slowly growing back.

"What do you say, Jess?" Rory asked meeting his dark eyes. "Wanna open a book/music store with Lane and me?"

"I guess," he said shrugging. If he got to spend lots of time with Rory, he'd do anything. Rory was his best friend. "But no stinky, boring Jane Austen."

"Hey, she's a good author."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

They continued to bicker like that, back and forth, until snack time ended. Jess knew there was no heat in their arguments, they always argued like that, and sometimes Lane would butt in if she knew what they were talking about.

But no matter how many things they argued about, or how many times they disagreed, Jess knew Rory would always be there. She wasn't going to leave him. He could count on her.


	9. Taylor, Crushes, and Arguments

**1990…**

Luke had bought Jess some sidewalk chalk. He knew how much his nephew liked to draw, his entire fridge was decorated with random pictures, and recently he had even been able to identify just what Jess was aiming to create. He was so proud of himself.

When he saw the chalk at the store, he thought Jess might actually like a new canvas, and it wasn't like the rain couldn't easily wash away his art. So, Taylor really shouldn't have a problem with it. And if Jess happened to like what he drew, Luke could easily take a photo of it with his camera.

During break between lunch and dinner, Jess had gone outside with his bucket of chalk. Luke had been keeping an eye on him, but would look away every so often to wait on the odd customer or check with Cesar.

He had just returned from helping Cesar clean up a couple broken plates, one of the few times he had actually looked away from Jess, when he spotted his nephew outside, staring up at Taylor, while the older man held his chalk and yelled at him.

Luke rushed outside and snatched the chalk out of Taylor's hand, cutting the older man's tirade off. He met Taylor's eyes and snapped, "What the hell is going on out here?"

"Your nephew was defacing public property, Luke," Taylor said pulling himself up to his full height.

"Defacing…?" Luke shook his head, looking down at his nephew. Jess looked on the verge of tears, standing next to his picture of a half-finished tree. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, kneeling down next to Jess. The little boy nodded, sniffing, running his chalky hands down his pants and leaving green streaks on his jeans.

"Here," Luke said handing his nephew the chalk. "Go inside and wash your hands, okay?" Jess nodded again and ran inside, not stopping until he was, most likely, up the stairs and out of sight.

Luke took a second to collect himself before getting to his feet. He met Taylor's eyes and said, "I swear, Taylor, you have been out to get Jess since he came to live with me."

"Now Luke, that is a…"

"When he was three you accused him of stealing," Luke pressed on, cutting Taylor off again. "Even though, he had picked up the paper towels Babette had dropped. When he was four, you told him that if he rode his bike by your store one more time, you would be sure to call the cops on him for loitering. And last year, you banned him from your store for three days because he accidently knocked three boxes of Ritz crackers from the shelf."

Taylor wanted to say something, Luke could tell, but the younger guy cut him off a third time. "If Jess wants to draw on the sidewalk, in front of _MY_ diner, he has every right to, and you are not going to stop him. Do I make myself clear?" And Luke stormed away before Taylor could say another word.

**GG**

**Present Day…**

Jess noticed Taylor tracking his movements as he left Luke's diner the next day. The older man always tried to act inconspicuous, but it hardly ever worked. According to Luke, Taylor's goal was to prove Jess was a no good delinquent. Though, in recent years, Taylor had toned down the dislike just a little bit; especially when he realized Jess was there to stay.

"Hey," Rory said when he approached the bench she was sitting on. They had a few minutes to kill before school, and Jess knew she wanted to tell him the big news.

"Hi," he responded sitting next to her.

"So, I saw you talking to the new kid," she commented, stalling. He just wished she'd tell him the news so he could pretend to be happy for her. Not that he wasn't, exactly, but a part of him didn't want her to switch schools. "He seems nice."

"He's okay," Jess replied shrugging. _And seems to have a thing for you_, he tacked on silently.

"So, I have news," Rory continued after a few seconds of silence. "I got into Chilton."

"Yeah, Luke told me," Jess responded with a small smile. "Congrats by the way."

"Thanks."

They fell silent again. Rory was staring at the ground, and Jess was studying his shoes. Finally, Rory took a breath and said, "I'm sure we'll see each other on the weekends."

"And you and your mother practically live at Luke's," Jess pointed out and she smiled. "It's not like we'll never see each other."

"Yeah."

Their third awkward silence was broken up by the arrival of Lane, and the small group headed towards the school. Lane began talking about Rory cleaning out her locker today, and Jess silently excused himself and headed towards his own.

"Does your uncle need help at the diner?" A voice asked and Jess moved his locker door aside to see Dean standing behind it, his back against a bank of lockers, his arms crossed.

"Why?" Jess asked loading his backpack with his morning books.

"I need a job," Dean replied.

"I could ask him, but I think you should find another place. You know, just in case."

"Good idea," Dean replied nodding. "So, I got my schedule." He pushed away from the locker, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and waved it in the air. "We have three classes together."

"Happy day," Jess muttered shutting his locker door. He started towards his first period class, Dean easily keeping pace.

"So, about that brunette girl…"

_Oh joy, here comes the awkward 'are you two dating' question. "_You mean Rory?"

"Is that her name?"

_Oh, nice one Mr. Casual,_ Jess thought fighting an eye roll. He turned to meet Dean's eyes and said, "Look, man, just go talk to her. She's not going to bite."

"Oh, I just thought…"

"There's nothing going on between us," Jess assured the taller boy. He managed to keep his voice even while at the same time his stomach jolted. Dean must have seen something in his eyes, something Jess hadn't managed to hide.

"Hey man, if…"

"Just go talk to her," Jess repeated as the bell rang. "I've got class. See ya later." And he left Dean standing outside the class room.

**GG**

Normally Rory would have an excuse slip-signed by a 'doctor'-saying she just couldn't participate in the sports they were playing during gym. In fact, Jess couldn't even remember the last time he had seen her do anything during their gym classes.

But today she decided to dress and contribute her energies for the fifty minute period. They were playing volleyball that day, and after six seconds Jess realized why exactly Rory never played sports. She was terrible.

Every time the ball would come at her she'd flinch out of the way. A few times the ball hit her legs or her hip. And once she tried hitting it, but somehow ended up hitting herself in the head instead. Jess tried hard not to laugh, but it was just impossible.

By the end of the class period, Jess was fairly certain Rory had given up any hope of playing sports.

"At least you tried," he commented with a smile.

"Shut up," she playfully snapped as she headed towards her next class.

**GG**

After school, Jess stayed behind his art class to ask his teacher about an assignment. Once his question was answered, he was heading back to his locker when he noticed Rory saying good-bye to Lane. As the bespectacled girl walked out of the school, a book and a ball of paper fell from Rory's box.

She stooped down to pick it up. Jess walked forward to help her, but stopped short when he noticed Dean standing over her.

Rory looked up and exclaimed, "God! You're like Ruth Gordon just standing there with a tannis root. Make a noise."

"Rosemary's Baby."

"Yeah."

Jess noticed the look on Rory's face when Dean understood the reference. Rarely did anyone get her obscure references, Jess generally being the only one. Maybe telling Dean to talk to Rory wasn't Jess' best idea.

He turned, heading back to his art class, leaving those two alone. He couldn't quite shake the jolt of jealousy he felt, but he managed to push it back when he returned to the art class.

"Forget something, Jess?" the teacher asked from his desk.

_Nope, just looking for my dignity,_ he thought but said, "I think I dropped a pencil."

After feigning a search for a few minutes, he mumbled something about the pencil being gone, and quickly returned to the hallway. Both Rory and Dean were gone, and Jess was able to get to his locker.

So what if Rory and Dean started dating. Why did he care? She was a big girl; she could date whoever she wanted. And her and Jess grew up together, they were practically siblings. Dating between him and her would be borderline wrong. Of course, if that were the case, why did his stomach tighten at the thought of Rory dating Dean?

He really needed to get out of his head. He figured a few hours of taking orders and delivering food followed by an hour of homework might actually get his mind off things. And if it didn't, maybe some time sketching, writing, or reading. He'd do anything as long as he didn't have to think about Rory, Dean, or his own jealousy.

**GG**

Luke noticed something was up with Jess. He was being too quiet. He might not talk much, but he'd never been this quiet. He was also zipping around the diner, helping as many people as he could, while he avoided one table in the middle. The one table holding the town's Gilmore girls; Luke wondered if Jess and Rory had a fight.

Of course, from the way Rory and Lorelai were acting, it seemed Jess and Rory weren't the only ones having an argument.

"So, what holiday's in September," Rory asked as Luke approached the table.

"Look, it's not a holiday. It's just dinner, okay?" Lorelai snapped looking down at the table.

"Fine, sorry."

Luke cut the argument off when he placed their plates on the table. He looked between the two and said, "Red meat can kill you. Enjoy." He walked off, listening to the girls continue their 'discussion.'

"So, I finished hemming you skirt today," Lorelai said no doubt trying to steer away from their argument. Rory didn't answer. "A grunt of acknowledgement might be nice."

"I don't understand why we're going to dinner tomorrow night. I mean, what if I had plans? You didn't even ask me."

Luke left them to their 'conversation', heading towards Jess. The younger guy was refilling Bootsy's coffee cup while simultaneously writing down Kirk's order. Luke noticed Bootsy's mug was dangerously close to overflowing, and just managed to stop the inevitable mess.

"Oh crap, sorry," Jess exclaimed turning to face Luke.

"It's fine," Luke said placing the coffee pot back on the percolator. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Jess replied handing Caesar Kirk's ticket.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, Luke, I'm sure." Caesar rang the bell, signifying an order was up. Jess turned towards it. "I need to…"

Luke nodded, stepping aside to allow Jess access to the cook. If his nephew didn't want to talk about, Luke wasn't going to push him. He'd come to the older man when he was ready.

"We have to pay first!" a voice exploded through the diner, and Luke turned to look towards Lorelai and Rory's table. The older of the two turned, threw some money on the table, and both started towards the door.

"What was that about?" Luke asked curiously.

Jess shrugged, but his eyes said something different. Either he knew what they were fighting about or he, at least, suspected. Maybe that's why Jess was upset, too. Maybe whatever was going on between Lorelai and Rory had something to do with Jess.

"We need to talk," Luke said, gently grabbing his nephew's arm and hauling him towards the supply closet.

"Jeez, Uncle Luke, all you had to do was ask," Jess grumbled the moment Luke had released him and closed the door. "I would have just followed you."

"What is going on? First you are acting like someone ran over your dog…"

"We've never had a dog," Jess pointed out slowly.

Luke ignored him and continued, "Then Lorelai and Rory are arguing. Something I've never seen."

"They are human. Humans tend to argue."

Luke glared at Jess and finished, "And you obviously know-or at least suspect-what they are talking about. So, tell me it's not anything illegal. Or that you and Rory aren't planning to run away somewhere…"

"Luke, I told you…"

"Jess."

Jess sighed heavily, hanging his head. He then looked up and said, "Rory met the new kid today, and I think she likes him."

"And if she does, she's not going to want to go to Chilton," Luke supplied nodding. Everything made perfect sense now. Liz would have acted the same way had she been in Rory's position. Granted, she probably would have disappeared with the boy before an argument could break out between their parents and her.

As for Jess, Luke knew he had had a crush on Rory for a while. He knew the kid better than anyone, and there had been a time when Jess told him everything. Now that he was older, he kept some things to himself

"Sorry buddy," he said softly.

"Don't worry about it," Jess replied heading towards the door. "I'm not."

**GG**

**1995…**

"Luke?" Luke glanced over at his nephew, sitting at the counter, a serious look on the boy's face.

"What's up, buddy?"

"I need to ask you something."

"What?"

"If I…" Jess face flushed red and he averted his eyes. "Um…"

"It's okay, you can tell me," Luke encouraged smiling at his nephew.

"If I…" he cleared his throat. "Let's just say, I like a girl…"

"You want to know how to talk to her?"

"No, I can…" he trailed off, gently kicking his feet. "I already talk to her, I just…"

"Ah," Luke said knowingly. He knew who his nephew was referring to. "Have you told her how you feel?"

"That's what I need help with. What do I say to her?"

"Follow your heart," Luke supplied shrugging. It's what his mother told me growing up.

"That's it?" Jess asked incredulously. "Follow my heart?" And that's exactly how Luke reacted. "I wanted advice. That was useless."

"I could give you more."

"It's fine, I'll just tell her," Jess replied and jumped down from his stool. He looked up at Luke, shook his head, and muttered, "'_Follow your heart_.' That's just…" he kept grumbling as he walked out of the diner.

**GG**

Jess returned about a half an hour later, looking mildly troubled. He climbed onto the stool, meeting Luke's eyes, and said, "I didn't tell her."

"What? Why not?" Luke asked curiously.

"She was talking about her parents arguing over something, and how she wished her dad was around more, and all this stuff. Then she called me a great friend and hugged me. So, I hugged her back, said I'll always be there for her, and walked away." Jess sighed. "I couldn't do it, Luke. Not when she was like that."

"Do you want some ice cream?" Luke questioned after a few moments of silence. Jess nodded. "Okay."

**GG**

***peeks head around corner* Hey guys! Uh... Why are you glaring at me? Is that a pitchfork?**

**I know, I've been gone a while. I fell into a writer's block hole. Damn writer's block.**

**Anyway, I'm back now. Hopefully for good.**

**So, thanks for reading. Leave a comment, and I own nothing.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, alerts, and favs last chapter.**

**BYE!**


	10. Everything's Easier in Books

**A huge, huge, huge thanks to my beta: BrokenDaisy. Her 'cyber kick' was the reason this chapter got done. You are awesome and thanks a bunch :)**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited last chapter. You guys are awesome, too.**

**So, thanks for reading, I own nothing, and drop me a comment if you can.**

**SEE YA!**

**GG**

**1992…**

Luke looked up when his diner's door opened. Lorelai walked in, a glum look on her face, and proceeded to walk across the floor, plop down on one of the stools at the counter, and rest her forehead against the surface.

"Would you like coffee?" Luke asked curiously, and she nodded but made no attempt to speak. Something was up; Lorelai never missed an opportunity to say something. "Wanna talk about it?" Luke questioned as he pulled a mug from underneath the counter and poured coffee into it.

"Do you know what tomorrow is, Luke?" Lorelai murmured without lifting her head.

"Uh, the fourth?" Luke responded after a quick glance at the cat calendar thumb tacked to the wall. It had been a gift from the woman in front of him, and he hated it, but he wasn't going to let a perfectly good calendar go to waste.

"Not just any fourth, Luke. It is the fourth of July. A holiday and you know what happens on the holidays."

"You go see your parents," Luke supplied for his friend. He should have seen this coming. Lorelai always got this way when she had to go see her parents.

"Yes, I go see Ava and Adolph," Lorelai said and picked her head up.

"Isn't that a little harsh? Calling your dad Adolph?"

"I was referring to my mother, Luke," she retorted taking a sip of her coffee. "And I thought you got me perfectly."

There were days when Luke did understand the eccentric woman, sitting in front of him, quite clearly, and others (like today) where she remained a mystery. He didn't share this sentiment with her though, instead he opted to say, "At least it's only a few hours."

"Hours are like years at the Gilmore house," Lorelai deadpanned and her eyes glassed over, too far away for Luke to reach them. "The memories Luke; those poor memories. They were too young, far too young," she muttered and a faux-shiver ran down her spine.

"Aren't you exaggerating a little?"

"Et tu, Brute?" Lorelai replied putting a hand over her heart. "First my own kid turns against me and now you? Is there no one left in this world that I can trust?" Jess chose that morning to emerge from upstairs, a book clutched in his hands. "Jess," Lorelai exclaimed getting to her feet. "Jess, you are the only one left. Tell your uncle that I am not over exaggerating." She scooped the boy up, his book dropping to the floor, and held him out to Luke.

Had it been a few years ago, Jess would have been freaking out over being manhandled by anyone (let alone a half-crazed Lorelai), but he had grown out of that stage and laughed at Lorelai's antics. "Please, Jess, tell him," Lorelai faux-begged.

"She's not over exaggerating," Jess stated meeting his uncle's eyes.

"Thank you," Lorelai exclaimed and hugged the boy. "I have someone on my side." She swung him in a circle and he laughed. "You are my hero, Jess." She then kissed his cheek and set him back on the floor. As he scrubbed at his cheek, Jess picked his book up and walked towards an empty stool.

"Now you're turning _my_ kid against me?" Luke questioned fixing Lorelai with a steady gaze.

"I just have that affect on people," she replied finishing off the rest of her coffee. "They just love me." She tossed a couple bills on the table, smiling when Luke rolled his eyes, and waved as she headed out of the diner.

**GG**

**Present Day…**

Lorelai was being unusually quiet, staring into her coffee cup. Luke watched her for a few minutes before he moved towards her and asked, "You okay?"

"You ever make a decision you wished you didn't but did in order to help someone you cared about?" she replied still watching her coffee.

Luke could list a few of those regrets without even thinking, but he didn't. Instead he said, "Is this about the other day?"

Lorelai was quiet for a moment, but she finally nodded. "I needed money for Rory's school."

"Well, I would have…"

"Thanks Luke, really, but you have your own teenager to pay for, and I think, for you, Jess' needs should come before Rory's." The brunette woman was quiet for a moment and then said, "I wish I hadn't done what I did, but it was for Rory."

"Did you sell yourself?" Luke joked hoping to make Lorelai laugh. She smiled weakly; it had to count for something. "So what did you do?"

"I went to The First National Bank of Gilmore," Lorelai replied and Luke was certain his jaw had hit the floor. Never, in the thirteen years he had known her, had Lorelai Gilmore gone to her parents for money.

"So, the dinner…?"

"Yep," Lorelai replied not even asking how Luke knew about that. Anyone within a table or two of her and Rory last night knew about the dinner. "Every Friday night until I either pay them back or die. I'm aiming for the first one, but I think the second may actually win."

Luke wanted to say that he was certain her parents would be gone by the time she died (or he hoped she didn't die in the near future), but he had a feeling, despite Lorelai's attitude towards them, she'd have a problem with that. So, he opted to say, "It could be worse. You could have dinner with them every night."

"Luke," Lorelai exclaimed exasperated. "Why don't you say that a little louder? My mother probably heard that all the way in Hartford during her DAR meeting."

"I'm sorry?"

"It doesn't matter," Lorelai said getting to her feet. "As long as Rory gets into Chilton, I'll do whatever it takes. And even if I have to drag her there, by her hair, she's going to Chilton." Before Luke could ask her what that meant, Lorelai had already tossed some ones on the counter and walked out of his diner.

**GG**

"I can't believe she's switching schools," Dean commented following Jess out of their math class. "Right before we could become friends." Jess nodded vaguely, walking towards his locker. "I mean, she'd want to be friends with me, right?"

"If you're decent enough, Rory won't care," Jess replied softly, switching out his morning books with his afternoon books.

"She's seen _Rosemary's Baby,_ and got me a job at _Doose's_. Did I tell you I got a job…?"

"Okay, if we're going to be 'friends,'" Jess started, whirling around to face the taller kid, finally fed up with Dean's constant talk about Rory. It had started that morning and had continued, even though they only had one morning class together. In fact, Jess was getting a little sick of talking about Rory. "I need to know you aren't just using me to get to Rory."

"What?" Dean was taken aback by Jess' outburst. "Why would I…?" his green eyes widened. "Oh jeez, did you think…? No, I really want to be friends. I just…" Dean ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I keep talking about Rory. I'll stop." Jess nodded, turning back to his locker. "Do you wanna hang out after school?" Dean asked curiously after a few seconds of silence.

"I have a shift after school," Jess replied zipping his backpack up. "But I guess we can do homework or something afterward."

"Okay," Dean said nodding. "I don't start _Doose's_ until Monday."

The two boys were quiet for a moment, neither looking at each other, but finally Jess took a breath and said, "_Doose's_? Really?"

"Taylor said he needed someone tall."

"Yeah that does kind of sound like Taylor." The two boys laughed, just as the bell rang.

"So, homework tonight? After your shift?" Dean started towards his classroom, walking backwards. "What time do you get off?"

"Eight," Jess replied and Dean nodded.

"And no Rory talk. See ya then."

"Yeah," Jess said swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He watched Dean disappear into his classroom for a few seconds before continuing towards his own class. Did he want to be friends with Dean Forrester? That was the million dollar question.

This was exactly why he read all the time. Books were easier to wrap his head around. The characters were already mapped out, the scenes already written down, the resolutions planned down to a T. People were a lot harder to understand when they weren't among the pages of books.

**GG**

**1996…**

Jess' entire class had been invited to Lindsay Lister's birthday party. Jess hadn't wanted to go, but Luke encouraged him to spend a few hours with children his own age. So, he brought a book and his walkman and walked to Lindsay's house.

The entire time he sat in the corner, music blaring, ignoring practically everyone. A few times, Rory and Lane sat with him, the only two people he actually liked at the party, but they mostly left him to his reading.

He enjoyed books. People couldn't hurt him in books and he didn't have to talk to books. He'd never been very good at the whole 'talking thing' and he doubted that was going to get any better. He'd be safer to just stick with the classics: a few hours with Dickens, maybe an afternoon with Bukowski, or a night with Kerouac. Anything had to be better than these screaming kids surrounding him.

With a sigh, he stood up. He waved good-bye to Rory and Lane and started the short walk home. He went to the party like Luke suggested, tried hanging around kids his own age, but he was much better off in a quiet, secluded part of the apartment, pouring over his books in piece. With the exception of Rory and Luke, they were the only things that understood him. And he liked it that way.


	11. Funerals and Diner Talk

**A huge thanks to my beta: BrokenDaisy**

**Sorry this is a wee bit late. I'll try to get a quicker update next time.**

**So, thanks for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting last chapter. I do not own these characters. And thanks for reading.**

**Drop a comment if you can!**

**GG**

**1994…**

Rory wore a solemn look as she walked into Luke's diner. She also had a pair of angel wings (feathers and all) on her back, but Luke was willing to look past that little tidbit. With a mother like Lorelai, he was surprised the youngest Gilmore didn't wear weird stuff like that more often. He was more worried about the expression on her face.

"Hello Luke," Rory said very formally, sadness seeping into her words.

"What's wrong?" Luke questioned curiously.

"I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"You know you can always ask me anything," he replied gesturing to the stool across from him. Rory nodded in thanks and clambered onto the stool, clasping her hands and resting them on the counter.

She was quiet for a moment, but finally took a breath and said, "There has been a death."

"Who died?" Luke furrowed his eyebrows, trying to recall who had died in town. If he wasn't mistaken (and with Babette and Miss Patty gossiping in his diner every, single morning he knew he wasn't), the last death had been Miss Fredrick, the old music teacher at the elementary school.

"My caterpillar," she said softly. "He went peacefully during the night. I wanted to have a funeral for him, and you're invited of course, but I was also wondering if you could build him a coffin. Nothing fancy, but I just didn't think it was right to bury him in a tiny, cardboard box.

"But if you don't want to that's fine. I can always bury him in a box, it won't hurt him or anything, and I think I can find…"

"Hey," Luke said softly, cutting the little girl off. She looked up, her blue eyes full of sorrow, but still gave Luke her undivided attention. He gave her a small smile and said, "I might have a tin box you can use. It's not much…"

"Can I see it?" she asked curiously and Luke nodded. He left Caesar in charge for a moment, waited for Rory to get off the stool, and led her upstairs. Jess was lounging on his bed, reading a book when they stepped into the apartment, but he threw the book to the side when he noticed Rory's face.

"Samsa died?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah," Rory replied nodding.

"At least he had you."

"Thanks," she muttered smiling.

Luke left the kids to talk as he dug around his closet. He found the tin box in the back, buried under a few things, and backed out of the closet. He handed the box to Rory and said, "Is that big enough?"

"It's perfect," Rory replied and gave Luke a quick hug. "I'll see you two at the funeral."

**GG**

**Present Day…**

Luke looked up as the door opened and smiled when Rory walked inside. At the look on her face, his smile wilted and worry settled in the pit of his stomach. He watched as she approached the counter and took a seat on an empty stool.

"Coffee?" Luke offered wanting to get that disgruntled look off her face.

She shook her head, crossing her arms on the counter and resting her chin on her right hand. She stared at the wall, quietly contemplating whatever was going on in her head. Luke wondered just what she was thinking and thought about hers and Lorelai's argument from last night. Were they still not talking to each other? Did Luke need to be worried about the Gilmore Girls?

"I think Mom asked my grandparents for money," Rory said softly, startling Luke. "I can't be one-hundred percent sure, but it's the only explanation as to why we are mysteriously having dinner tonight. Mom never goes over there unless she absolutely has to and unless I missed the new holiday in September…" Rory shook her head. "She didn't have to do it, you know? If she did. I don't _need_ to go to Chilton to get into Harvard. Ellie Hamilton went to Yale and she graduated Star's Hollow High."

"Is that what you were arguing about last night?" Luke asked cautiously. He knew he had to trek carefully when dealing with an angry Gilmore. Their words were more vicious than ten thousand fists.

"It was nothing," Rory insisted sitting up. "I'd better go," she said getting to her feet. "Thanks for listening Luke."

Luke watched her leave, not at all surprised she had figured her mother went to her grandparents. Rory wasn't stupid, it probably didn't take her long to figure it out, and Luke would wager a guess that she would be singing a different tune about Chilton when her suspicions were confirmed.

Luke had to admit, it took a lot of guts to do what Lorelai did. He knew just how stubborn she was, and asking her parents for money was equivalent to getting a root canal in Lorelai's book. Though, the root canal was most likely less painful.

Shaking his head, Luke grabbed his order book just as the diner door opened. He gestured to the customers to sit wherever as he headed towards Kirk who had been pouring over the menu for the past half an hour. Luke had to stop thinking about Lorelai and take Kirk's order.

**GG**

It wasn't as awkward as Jess thought it'd be. Him and Dean sat at a corner table, both going over their algebra homework. For a while they were quiet, but eventually Dean looked up and said, "Do you and your uncle watch any sports?"

"Luke's a huge baseball and football fan," Jess replied as he worked on a math problem. "He's a big fan of the Yankees and the Giants. I tend to root against the opposite teams just to tick him off." Dean chuckled, looking down at his math book. Jess cleared his throat, "What about you?"

"My dad and I watch football," Dean replied slowly. "He's a Bears fan…" the taller boy trailed off, chuckling again. "I'm, as he jokingly says, a traitor to my city."

"Why?"

"I root for Wisconsin."

"The Packers?" Jess made a face. He then shrugged and said, "It could be worse. My uncle probably won't like you anymore, but again it could be worse."

"If it helps any, I like the Cubs," Dean said slowly.

"It won't," Jess assured him and both boys laughed. It was then that Luke walked into the diner wearing a nice shirt and slacks. "I didn't know you had a date," his nephew said studying his uncle. "What's her name and when can I meet her? Will I have to stay at Dean's place tonight?"

"Very funny, smart ass," Luke said checking his watch. "I had to go to the bank and they like collars."

"And it's killing you to be wearing that isn't it?"

"How's things, Dean?" Luke asked turning away from his nephew.

"Fine. Things are fine," Dean replied trying to keep a straight face. "I heard you're a Yankees fan."

"Oh, you watch baseball?"

"Not closely. My dad and I are more football and hockey type people, but I'll catch the occasional game."

"And who do you…?" Luke trailed off when the doors opened. Lorelai and Rory walked in and took a seat by the window. The latter vaguely waved Dean and Jess' way before turning back to her mother and continuing to talk to her.

"I-I should go," Dean said getting to his feet. "See you later, Jess."

"Bye," Jess replied nodding.

"Nice seeing you again, Dean," Luke said smiling. Dean nodded and headed towards the door, flashing Rory a quick smile before walking outside.

As Jess began collecting his books, he watched his uncle approach the Gilmore's table. "Wow, you look nice," Lorelai said, no doubt surprised to see Luke in something other than flannel and jeans.

"I had a meeting earlier at the bank," Luke said clearly uncomfortable. "They like collars." He was still uncomfortable and Jess tried really hard not to laugh. "You look nice, too," he muttered trying to change the subject.

"I had a flagellation to go to," Lorelai replied and Jess noticed the look of understanding on his uncle's face. They must have talked earlier today.

As Luke took the girls' orders, Jess walked towards the counter and cleaned up the plates. He put them in a gray tub and carried the tub over to a table near the girls'. As he continued to clean up dishes, he heard Lorelai teasingly ask, "Was that the guy? The tall, dreamy one who smiled at you?"

"Mom," Rory said exasperated. "That's so Nick at Night."

"Well, I'm gonna find out," Lorelai insisted leaning back in her chair.

"How?"

"I'll spy."

Their conversation was cut off when Luke returned. He placed their orders onto the table and said, "Coffee… fries…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I can't stand it! This is so unhealthy." Jess knew this was coming. Luke had the same blow up once every few days. "Rory please put down that cup of coffee. You don't want to grow up to be like your mom."

"Sorry, too late," Rory said smiling.

"Yeah Luke, it's a losing battle," Jess responded and Luke glared at him. "What? I'm just being honest."

Luke shook his head and stalked away. Jess' smile stayed in place up to Lorelai said, "So, tell me about the guy."

"Check please," Rory called jokingly, but her smile wasn't hard to miss.

Jess walked away, carrying the plastic tub. He didn't want to hear anymore, but he couldn't help hearing Lorelai say, "No, really, are you embarrassed to bring him home?"

"I'm not embarrassed."

"Does he talk at all?"

"No, Mom, he's a mime."

Leaving the two girls to their bantering, Jess left the plastic tub on the counter, grabbed his back pack, and rushed up the stairs without a backwards glance.


	12. Missed Opportunities

**The whole title for this chapter is: First Days, Country Club Golfing, and Missed Opportunities**

**Hugs to my beta BrokenDaisy. Thanks for all the help :)**

**This chapter starts during The Lorelai's First Day at Chilton and stops right before The Deer Hunters. I was going to go up to Cinnamon's Wake, but I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do with the deer episode. I may end up skipping it. We'll see.**

**Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this, there are a few lines from the episodes (I do not own those or these characters), and I thank everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited last chapter.**

**So, thanks for reading, drop a comment if you can, and I should go.**

**See ya!**

**GG**

**1999…**

Jess was sitting on the gazebo steps, reading a book, when a shadow fell over him. He looked up, the person's face in the shadows. He could tell she was female, and he didn't realize he was staring at her chest until a familiar voice said, "I've been told my _eyes_ are my best feature, and those are not my eyes Mister."

Jess face burned red as Lorelai's smiling face swam into focus. He stammered an apology, pushing himself to his feet.

"Hey, don't worry about it. If I had a dollar for every time a guy leered at me…" Lorelai trailed off, a faux shudder running down her spine. "At least you have the decency to apologize." Jess looked down at his feet, still ashamed of what he had done. This was his best friend's mother. She was like his mother sometimes, too. He couldn't be…

"How's about we pretend this never happened?" Lorelai suggested after a heavy pause. "How does that sound?"

"Thank you," Jess muttered clutching his book tightly to his stomach. "I-I'm really sorry," he whispered after another beat.

"For what?"

"For…" he noticed the wink Lorelai gave him and nodded. It never happened. He could easily live with that.

**GG**

**Present Day…**

Jess was just collecting his backpack when the door opened. He looked up, his eyes widening at the sight. Lorelai's outfit left nothing to the imagination. She looked like a better looking Daisy Duke, and it took all of his self-control to look away.

"I-I have to…" he rushed out of the diner, barely hearing Luke say good-bye. As he walked to school, Jess thought about the day on the gazebo. He had never told anyone about that day, not even Luke or Rory. It was still between Lorelai and himself, and he was going to keep it that way for as long as...

"Oof!" The breath was knocked out of him as he ran into something solid. The impact knocked him out of his thoughts, and steady hands caught him before he hit the ground.

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice apologized and Jess looked up to meet Bootsy's eyes. "You okay, kid?"

"I'm fine. Sorry," Jess replied glancing back at the diner. Bootsy followed the younger guy's gaze, letting out a low whistle.

"No wonder you're distracted. I'd be too." The older man shook his head slowly. "I never would have guessed that she had a kid."

"Uh…" Jess' face was burning. He didn't want to have this discussion about Lorelai; especially with Bootsy. "I need to…"

"Yeah, school," Bootsy mumbled distractedly, still staring at Lorelai.

"Bye." Jess jogged towards campus, making it just as the first bell rang.

**GG**

As the day progressed, and he got over the surprise of seeing Lorelai dressed so stripper-y, did Jess realize that this was Rory's first day at Chilton. At random moments, he wondered what she was doing and who she was getting acquainted with. He wondered if rich kids were just as bad as they were depicted on crappy television shows or if they were actually okay. He also wanted to know if he was going to miss her every, single day she was gone.

"So, Rory wanted me to tell you that if she doesn't survive you are welcome to her CD collection," Lane said the moment Jess sat down at their lunch table.

"That doesn't sound like Rory," Jess replied softly.

"Okay, so I asked if I could have it, but she agreed. And I thought you'd want to steal her David Bowie stuff."

"But I thought you wanted Bowie."

"I do, but it's only fair you get him. I've had my eye on the Distillers for a while and I _know_ you want them."

"At least you have your priorities straight," Jess joked and she threw him a small smile.

"I miss her," Lane admitted quietly, after a lengthy pause.

"Yeah," Jess replied just as quiet, "me too."

"Whatcha talking about?" Dean asked as he sat down at their table, breaking up their little moment.

"Music," Lane responded fixing her glasses. "Do you listen to any music?"

"Some," Dean said, opening his milk carton.

"Such as?" Jess prompted actually a little curious to the taller boy's music preferences.

"I actually like hip-hop. You know the older stuff: MC Hammer, Run DMC, Digital Underground," Dean replied shrugging. He brought his milk to his lips but lowered it at the looks they threw him. "What?"

"You just don't seem like the type to listen to stuff like that," Lane stated picking her fork up.

"And what do I look like I listen to?"

Lane and Jess shared a quick look before simultaneously saying, "Vanilla Ice." They laughed at the appalled look on Dean's face.

"And what do you two listen to?" Dean asked curiously once their laughter subsided.

"It really depends on where I am at the time," Lane informed the taller boy. "Sometimes it's old, Christian hymns; while other times it's The Rolling Stones or Yoko Ono."

"Yoko Ono?" Jess gave Lane an incredulous look. "She's the reason The Beatles broke up."

"They were going to break up anyway. It's just like a guy to blame the woman instead of admitting the band had problems," Lane defended her favorite singer.

They launched into an argument that lasted the rest of lunch and amused Dean to no end. By the time the bell rang, Jess and Lane agreed to call it a draw for now. The three walked out of the cafeteria, Lane heading to band while Jess moved down the hall to his locker.

"Do you two argue like that a lot?" Dean asked leaning against the locker next to Jess'.

"Not much," Jess replied shrugging nonchalantly. He and Lane never agreed on bands just like he and Rory never agreed on books. It's what made their friendship fun; the fact that they could argue good naturedly without really getting anywhere.

"So, I'm starting at Doose's tonight. Any advice?"

"Keep Taylor happy," Jess suggested closing his locker door.

"And how do I do that?"

"Shelf the peaches correctly?"

"I thank you for your help," Dean stated with a touch of sarcasm in his voice. The bell rang. "That's my cue to leave. I'll see you in Chemistry."

"Okay," Jess replied heading towards the gym. Once he got past constantly talking about Rory, Jess had to admit Dean wasn't _that_ bad. They still weren't quite friends, but he also didn't want the guy to leave him alone. There was a possibility they could be friends; maybe; in a few years at least.

_Or at least by graduation day_, Jess thought just as the bell rang. It had to be better than nothing.

**GG**

The bell rang over the door, catching Luke's attention. He was surprised to see Lorelai step into the diner, this time dressed more sensibly. She normally didn't stop by at this time of day, but it sure beat talking to Kirk.

"What are you doing here?" he asked curiously walking past her towards the counter.

"See, now, that's why you were voted Mr. Personality of the New Millennium. Where's your crown?" Lorelai retorted sarcastically moving towards a stool. She removed her bag and sat down.

"I just mean, you don't usually come in this time," Luke explained fighting an eye roll.

"Well, I have to pick up Rory from school," Lorelai replied. Luke placed a mug in front of her and grabbed the coffee pot. She thanked him when he poured her some coffee.

"You're welcome," he said replacing the pot.

"No lectures?" she asked curiously.

"My blood sugar's low. I'll eat an apple and get back to you," he snarked back, writing something on his order pad.

"God," she sighed taking a sip, "this has been one hectic, bizarro day for me."

"Yeah?" Luke questioned

"Yeah, this morning with the being late and my mother existing." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, and this father," she started getting Luke's attention, "this father from Chilton, he, uh, drove out to the inn all the way from Hartford to ask me out."

"Really?" Luke kept his eyes locked on his notepad, hoping he looked nonchalant. "You going?" he asked with more curiosity than he was aiming for. So what if she was asked out by some Chilton dad. What did he care?

"No. He's got a kid in school with Rory, and the whole thing just seemed a little weird."

"Oh good," he said finally looking up from his order pad.

"Good?"

"Yeah, I uh, think it's good that you turned him down," Luke replied turning back to the counter, hoping to hide the look of relief on his face. Again he wondered why he cared so much.

"Okay," Lorelai replied slowly. Luke could tell she wanted him to explain.

"I mean, he's probably old, right?" he said turning to look at her.

"Old?"

Luke knew he was in hot water, so he chose his next words carefully. "Yeah, I mean, he's got a kid in high school."

"Luke, we've got kids in high school," she pointed out, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, but you had Rory when you were young, and I wasn't exactly an old geezer when I got Jess. Most people aren't that young. Most people are, uh…"

"Old," Lorelai supplied still smiling.

"Yeah."

"Like this guy who asked me out."

"But you're not going," Luke said quickly.

"No, I'm not going."

Luke nodded, looking back down at his order pad just as Lorelai's cell phone rang. "Oh, that's me," she announced and Luke promptly pointed at the sign on his wall before heading into the kitchen.

After a quick conversation with Babette she hung up and said. "Um, I have to go." She removed her wallet from her purse.

"Keep it. I gave you decaf."

She frowned slightly, but still stood up and walked towards the door. Jess was walking in just as she was leaving and she greeted him with a smile. "Hey Jess."

"L-Lorelai," the kid replied, his face turning bright red. "Nice to… seeing you, L-Lorelai." She smiled, shaking her head, and let the door close behind her.

"What the hell was that?" Luke asked as his nephew took a seat on the stool Lorelai occupied not even a minute ago.

"What are you…? I don't…" the kid was clearly flustered. "Do you need any help?"

Luke eyed his nephew cautiously, but still handed over the order book. "Take orders while I work the grill, Romeo."

"S-shut up," Jess stammered, his face reddening two shades darker. He stood up, nearly knocked over the stool, and moved towards a table.

**GG**

Jess was taking the garbage out that night when he spotted Lane, Lorelai, and Rory walking down the sidewalk. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he figured it had something to do with Lane's mother; especially when the bespectacled girl took off with pizza crust in her hand.

After she was gone, the Gilmore girls continued down the sidewalk, talking about something Jess still couldn't make out. It wasn't until they stopped within hearing distance of him, did he realize it was about some girl named Paris. He almost stepped out to greet them, but stopped when Lorelai said, "Hey, what do you think of Luke?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Jess stuck to the shadows and waited for Rory's answer. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you think he's cute?" Jess very, nearly snorted at Lorelai's response. Was this Lorelai's way of saying she _liked_ Luke? Jess had never really thought about the two as a couple before, but it could work. They were a better couple than the few women Luke had dated over the years. He didn't even want to think about Anna, and Rachel had been cool until she up and left one day.

"Oh, no. No way." Rory's words had Jess' eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Did she not think her mother and Luke would be good together? They already spent a big chunk of time around each other. What was so wrong with them dating?

"No way what?"

"You _cannot_ date Luke." _What was so wrong about dating Luke? _Jess thought.

"I said nothing about dating Luke," Lorelai quickly defended herself.

"If you date," Rory plowed on, acting as though she hadn't heard Lorelai. "You'll break up, and we'll never be able to eat there again."

"I repeat, I said nothing about dating Luke."

"Date Al from Pancake World, his food stinks." Still, Rory wasn't listening to her mother, but Jess was listening intently to Rory.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing." Jess actually thought Lorelai was going to defend the idea of dating Luke, buy instead she made a joke, "Al's food does not stink; Al stinks."

As they walked away bickering, Jess couldn't help wondering if that's what Rory thought about _them_ dating. Would she feel obligated to avoid the diner if they broke up? And was she acting a bit too hasty on the actual breaking up? Who's to say they weren't going to be together forever? Why, in her eyes, did they have to break up?

"Jess, are you still taking the garbage out?" Luke called from the diner's front door.

"Uh, no," he replied moving out of the shadows of the alleyway. "I'm coming.

**GG**

**1996…**

Luke heard grumbling through the open window as he walked up Lorelai's porch's steps. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stopped in front of the door. He very nearly walked away when he heard something fall over and a sharp swear word, but thought better of it and knocked.

"Unless you are the anvil here to fall on my head, I'm not home," Lorelai called as she approached the door. She pulled it open, looking up at Luke's face. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were my mother coming to destroy my hopes and dreams."

"Your mother has your new address?" Luke asked curiously as Lorelai let him into her house.

"No, but I wouldn't put it past her to interrogate every, single person in this town until she found it," she replied closing the door.

"So, I take it you're in another fight with your mother," Luke guessed stepping into Lorelai's messy living room. She had been living in, what she affectionately called, _The Crap Shack_ for a little over two months and had yet to unpack every box.

"Not exactly," Lorelai admitted clearing a spot on an old chair so Luke could sit down. "She called the inn yesterday, insisting that I let her take Rory to the country club her and dad belong to. They want to show her off like some show dog."

"And I'm guessing you told her no."

"You're damn right I told her no. I'm not letting them parade my kid around to some rich, fat, gawky guys in weird clothes who do nothing but play golf all day. Do you know what rich, fat, gawky guys do to little girls?"

"I doubt they're all rich, fat, and gawky like you describe." She threw him a sharp look. "Not that they aren't all normal either. I'm sure there's one guy who just stands around, staring at people." He really wished she'd change the subject.

"I know I'm being unreasonable," she pointed out softly, after she calmed down, "but my mother needs to understand. I don't want Rory growing up around all that. It drove me absolutely crazy by the time I was ten, I don't want her to feel the same way."

"I know," Luke replied gently. "So, what'd you need me to do today?"

She smiled and stood, walking into the kitchen. She returned a few seconds later carrying a list. "It's just a few small repairs around the house; nothing big."

Luke took the list from her, glancing over what she needed done, and got to his feet. "I'll get my tool box."

As he headed towards the door, he heard her say, "Thanks."

"No problem," he responded knowing she wasn't just thanking him for the household repairs. He'd always be there for her, no matter what she needed.

**GG**

**Present Day…**

"Is fishing an option?" Lorelai asked as she and Rory sat at a table by the window. "Because I bet Luke would definitely take you if it was."

"Mom, the options are right here," Rory said handing the list over, "and I do not see fishing anywhere on that list."

"Hey Luke!" Lorelai called ignoring Rory. "Is fishing a sport?"

"What?" the diner owner called back, still trying to figure out why the two most uncoordinated women on the planet were talking about sports.

"Is fishing a sport?"

"To some people," Luke replied balancing two plates as he carried the girls' dinner to them. "I guess it really depends on what you catch."

"For Luke it's a hobby," Jess pointed out from the counter, going over his math homework. "He barely catches anything bigger than minnows."

Luke glared at the back of his nephews head. "And for Jess it's a pain."

"It'd be less of a pain if you'd just let me read on the dock," Jess said turning to face Luke.

"We don't go fishing so you can read."

"Yeah, fishing is a sacred bonding moment between men," Lorelai supplied in a deep, mocking voice, "where one man proves he is superior to another by catching the biggest fish, or, in most guys' cases, drinking the most beer and belching loudly."

"You watch too much TV, Mom," Rory pointed out glancing down at her list of sports.

"Why are you taking a sport anyway?" Jess asked curiously, returning to his math homework. "Last I checked you are terrible at sports."

"It's required at Chilton," Rory responded and Luke caught sight of her crossing off volleyball and basketball. "Maybe I should just join the swim team."

"Honey, you tried to swim remember?" Lorelai said munching on a French fry. "The nice instructor lady had to practically pry you off the wall with a crowbar."

"Yeah," Rory muttered as she crossed off swimming. "What about field hockey?" She made a face, answering her own questions. "Never mind." She crossed it off, too.

"What's left?" Lorelai asked, glancing at the list.

"Horseback riding and golf."

"Oh, if you ride horses I can get you a pair of cute cowgirl boots and a ten, gallon hat. Both, naturally, would be pink and sparkly."

"That's not the kind of horseback riding they are referring to," Rory pointed out as she promptly crossed it off. "And I don't think I want to ride a horse anyway."

"Yeah, you did freak out when I placed you on that pony."

"I was six."

"You still freaked out."

"Golf?" Rory said returning to the subject at hand.

"Golf it is," Lorelai replied returning to her dinner. "Though, who do we know who plays golf on a regular basis?"

"Well there's…"

"Oh look, an L-shaped French fry," Lorelai exclaimed picking it up. "Who let this get passed them at the fry making plant? Don't they, you know, shun the oddly shaped fries? It's like getting a burnt or green chip in the potato chip bag. I must alert the fry police."

Rory shook her head, but folded her sports list up and placed it in her pocket. As she returned to her food, Luke thought over what had just happened. He knew Rory was about to suggest her grandfather. He also knew Lorelai was going to put her foot down. He recalled what Lorelai said, at her house, all those years ago, about Rory going to that country club. He wondered how far Lorelai would go to keep Rory away from that place, and what Emily Gilmore would do to insure that her daughter failed. He was not looking forward to the fallout.

**GG**

It was a few days after the sports thing when Lorelai walked in, in a bad mood. She slammed her bag on the counter, sat down heavily, and laid her head down. Luke placed a cup of coffee next to her and said, "Is there a problem?"

"Are my boobs bigger than Rory's?" she asked suddenly, taking Luke by surprise.

"What?"

"What?" She looked up, shaking her head. "Nothing, sorry."

"What's going on?"

"Nothing. This wedding is stressing me out and Rory and I had this stupid fight. Don't worry about it."

"Is this about her golfing with your dad?"

Lorelai was quiet for a few seconds, but eventually blurted out, "I can't believe she had fun. I never had fun at the club. Why would she…?"

"Maybe you two aren't as similar as you thought," Luke muttered as he began refilling sugar dispensers.

"Take it back," Lorelai exclaimed in a mock hurt voice. She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. "I guess I never thought she'd actually enjoy that life. I mean, I want her to get to know my parents-it's not fair to her to not have a relationship with them just because I don't-but…"

"You don't want her to get too close and leave you behind," Luke said softly.

"Have you and Sookie been talking behind my back?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"I'm just saying…"

"Yeah, I know. I'm being stupid."

"No, you're just…"

"Jealous," Lorelai supplied, nodding her head. "I'm a child who is sad because no one will play with her. I need a time out." She picked up her coffee cup, taking a sip. "Thanks, you know, for listening to me."

"Anytime," Luke replied moving towards the kitchen.

"This isn't decaf is it?" Lorelai asked sniffing the contents. "That was a cruel trick the other day."

"I thought it'd make you less crazy. Did it work?"

"What do you think?" she retorted draining the remainder of her beverage. She tossed some ones on the counter. "I should go and apologize." She started towards the door. "See you, Luke," she called over her shoulder, letting the door close behind her. He had a feeling her parents were going to become more of a problem for Lorelai as the years went on, but at least he was able to semi-help her with this hurdle.

**GG**

"Who needs this much crap for school?" Jess asked as he looked over the list of school supplies Rory had neatly written out.

"Chilton is very demanding," Rory replied grabbing the last slice of pizza from the box.

"I'm surprised it hasn't asked you for your soul," Jess muttered replacing the list on the Gilmore's coffee table.

"The place isn't that bad," Rory insisted munching on her pizza. "I mean, the classes are a tad more demanding and the kids aren't Star's Hallow kids, but things aren't all that bad. Mr. Medina is really nice and I actually got my locker open yesterday."

"Hey, at least there's a bright side." Jess fiddled with the watch on his wrist, looking anywhere but at Rory. "Hey, Rory."

"Yeah?"

"So, they were out of root beer, but I got some orange soda instead," Lorelai's voice said as she opened the door, cutting off what Jess was about to say. "Did I miss anything important, and who the hell ate all the pizza?"

"I told you we should have gotten two," Rory pointed out, getting to her feet. She took one of the shopping bags from her mother and glanced inside. "You got Red Vines _and_ Twizzlers? I thought you boycotted Twizzlers when they started making the chocolate ones."

"I figured it's not the strawberry Twizzlers fault that the company made that disastrous candy," Lorelai replied setting the other bag down so she could take her jacket off.

"And you missed them," Rory supplied as she sat back down next to Jess.

"I admit nothing," Lorelai exclaimed taking a seat on the floor. "So, really, what did I miss? Since Mr. Anti-Pause Button wouldn't stop the film."

"It could ruin the tape," Jess defended his decision.

"Just as bad as Luke," Lorelai muttered shaking her head. "What has that man done to you, my dear boy? Live with us for a few days, and we'll bring you to the dark side."

"We even have ice cream," Rory prompted waving a gallon of mint chocolate chip under Jess' nose.

"I think I'll pass," Jess replied smiling. "Besides, I think two Gilmores are all this town can handle."

"What are you talking about? One more would do more good than harm," Lorelai said quickly. "We'd be the Gilmore trio: me, the dashing leader, Rory, the meek sidekick, and you, Mr. Anti-Pause Button."

"Oh, look, Kate Hudson took some pills," Jess said pointing at the screen. "I hope she doesn't die."

"You've seen this movie eight times," Rory pointed out, an amused expression on her face.

"And this scene gets me every time," Jess snarked back, throwing her a small smile.

When the movie wrapped up, Jess said good-bye to the eccentric Gilmores and headed home. He wondered what he would have said to Rory had Lorelai not shown up. There was so many ways that conversation could have gone, and a part of Jess was glad Lorelai showed up when she did. He avoided sticking his foot in his mouth and making a fool out of himself.

But, he still wondered, what if she hadn't shown up. Would they have talked about what he overheard a week ago? About how Rory firmly believed that if Luke and Lorelai (or anyone else for that matter) dated, they'd have to avoid that diner? Or would they have talked about how Dean was always hanging around the bus stop, hoping to catch glimpses of Rory. Maybe they would have talked about Rory's feelings for Dean. Or maybe his feelings for…

No, it was good Lorelai showed up when she did; it would have been a disaster if she hadn't.


End file.
